Always You
by redhedqt
Summary: Craig is already knee-deep in drama when his old girlfriend comes to Degrassi. When she starts falling for Jimmy, can he handle it?
1. Introduction

Always You  
  
Introduction  
  
Craig has enough drama in his life. Between the love triangle with Manny and Ashley, the band, and school, he doesn't have room for any more drama.  
  
Until his old girlfriend Bianca comes to his school. Bianca is beautiful, built, and sweet – and Manny and Ashley both hate her. The two enemies band together to put the kibosh on any possibility of Bianca and Craig getting back together.  
  
Craig doesn't know what to do about Bianca. He has Manny, but when Jimmy and Bianca start getting comfortable, jealousy begins to overtake him. 


	2. Chapter One: Old Friends Reunited

Chapter One: Old Friends Reunited  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
"Anyway, so I was thinking, this weekend we could go to the mall because they're having a sale on stilettos and you know I need to get some more stilettos, I mean, I'm only 5'3 and....Craig? Are you listening to me? Craig!"  
  
I pulled my head out of my locker and stared at my girlfriend Manny. We had been dating only a few weeks, but we'd been doing this crazy mating dance for awhile now. We'd almost get together, then at the last second, something would happen to prevent that. Finally, fate had given us a second chance.  
  
Unfortunately, I had ended up hurting someone I care about in the process. I had been dating Ashley for quite awhile when Manny and I crossed paths again, and at Christmas I ultimately had to choose between them. In the end, I wound up choosing Manny.  
  
I can't say I regret it, because I don't. Manny is sweet, funny, and beautiful. She's what my friend Spinner calls "a bangin' Latina chick", with long curly brown hair, big chocolate brown eyes, and a great, curvy body. She was drop dead gorgeous, and it amazed me sometimes that she even saw anything in me at all.  
  
"Manny, it's not that I'm not listening, it's just I don't care about stilettos." I replied.  
  
"Craig! I have to be taller!" Manny replied indignantly.  
  
I smiled and smoothed Manny's hair back.  
  
"No, you don't. I like you the way you are. Shortness and all." I replied, smiling at her.  
  
"Thanks." Manny replied. "Well, I have to get to class...I'll see you later?"  
  
"You bet." I replied.  
  
"Bye." Manny smiled at me and walked off down the hall to her class, passing my friends Jimmy and Spinner on her way.  
  
"I'm telling you, she's hot." Jimmy said to Spinner.  
  
"Brutally hot." Spinner replied.  
  
"Who are you guys talking about?" I asked.  
  
"New girl." Jimmy said. "I saw her in the office when I came in this morning, and man, she is fine..."  
  
"I think she's from BC, but I also heard she was from the States." Spinner replied.  
  
"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" Jimmy replied. "Oh yeah, and uh....I got first dibs."  
  
I laughed. "You can't call 'dibs' on a girl, it doesn't work that way."  
  
"Thank you." Spinner said, smirking at Jimmy.  
  
"And what about Paige, Spin?" I asked.  
  
Spinner sighed. "Paige is acting really weird lately...I don't know what's wrong with her. But I'm sure there's something so right with the new girl, and I'm sure I'll find out first."  
  
"Man, whatever. We'll see who gets there first." Jimmy replied.  
  
"You got it." Spinner replied.  
  
Jimmy and Spinner walked their separate ways down the hall, leaving me there by myself. I rolled his eyes and slammed my locker door shut as the bell rang.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
"Alright class, we have a new student with us today. This is Bianca Taylor, and she's from the United States." Mrs. Kwan announced, gesturing to the new student. I gave Spinner a challenging look, and he sent one right back at me.  
  
Spinner and I have been friends for a long time, but our friendship has a much different dynamic than most friendships do. Spinner and I are both heavy competitors. No matter what it involves, we usually compete over it. Sports, dancing, school, girls. Especially girls.  
  
As the class stared at Bianca, she stared at her desk nervously. I lowered my head a little to get at her level so I could get her attention. Sure enough, her eyes drifted over to me and I smiled at her. She smiled lightly and looked back down. I took this time to examine the new girl. She was quite cute, I surmised, with long red hair that hung almost down to her waist, big green eyes, and fair skin. She was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a silvery-gray top. She seemed nice, but also very, very shy. But that was alright, I would try to break past that.  
  
As class let out, I bravely made my way over to Bianca.  
  
"Hi." I said.  
  
"Hi." She replied shyly.  
  
"I'm Jimmy Brooks." I said.  
  
"Bianca Taylor. Nice to meet you." She responded.  
  
"So what brings you to Degrassi?" I asked.  
  
"Um, my dad was transferred here." Bianca replied.  
  
"That's cool. So, what part of the states are you from?"  
  
"California. But I'm originally from BC."  
  
"Oh, cool. So, I was wondering if..."  
  
"Yes?" Bianca asked.  
  
"You wanna sit with me at lunch?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great. I mean, I don't know anybody, so....."  
  
"So you can hang with me and my friends. It'll be great."  
  
"Okay, sounds great."  
  
"Alright, let's go." I said.  
  
Bianca followed me down the hall to the cafeteria, and as we walked, we were intercepted by none other than Spinner. Surprise, suprise  
  
"Jimmy! My man! How you doing? Great shirt." Spinner said.  
  
"Spin, what do you want?"  
  
"I just wanna spend time with my best friend, is that too much to ask???" Spinner replied. Spinner turned to Bianca and pretended to acknowledge her. "Why Jimmy, who's your friend?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. Spinner's commitment to using the Chuck Woollery approach around females was unfailing. "You are unbelievable. Bianca, Spinner. Spinner, Bianca."  
  
"Gavin Mason, at your service. But you can call me Spinner. Everybody does." Spinner replied, shaking her hand.  
  
Bianca smiled. "Bianca Taylor. And you can call me Bianca. Everybody does." She replied.  
  
"So where are you kids headed?"  
  
I rolled my eyes at Spinner's behavior. "Well Spinner, like everyone else in this crazy school, us kids are headed to the cafeteria for lunch." I replied sarcastically.  
  
"Mind if I join you? Cool, thanks." Spinner replied.  
  
I rolled my eyes as Bianca giggled at Spinner's antics. The three of us walked down the hall into the cafeteria, finding a table. Bianca sat down and took her lunch out. I scanned the cafeteria for my friends and my eyes landed on Craig and Manny as they were walking in. I saw Ashley and Manny give each other dirty looks as they passed by, and I smirked. Ash still wasn't over Craig dumping her for Manny.  
  
The web we weave at Degrassi is quite a tangled one, you see. Once upon a time, Ashley was my girlfriend. Until one unfortunate night when her parents were out of town. Ashley's younger stepbrother, Toby, had a brilliant idea to invite a bunch of people over to the house, and one of them, his best friend JT, happened to pop in with an Ecstasy pill. Sean, who happened to be at the party, and whom I absolutely detest, had this brilliant (and when I say brilliant, I do mean it in a sarcastic way) idea to switch the pill with aspirin, and left it in Ashley's safekeeping. Well, since Ashley was all broken up about her good girl "image", she takes the pill. Completely and utterly stoned, she hooks up with Sean. Remember that part about me detesting him? That's where that came into play. I show up at the party, at Ash humiliates me and then dumps me in front of everyone! And next year, after summer break? Makes me think we have a shot, then makes a date with Sean.  
  
But I'm not bitter. No, not anymore. Or at least I try not to be. Anyway, even though it's kind of cruel, I can't help but laugh at Ashley's situation. I guess she finally realizes how it feels when the tables are turned.  
  
Craig and Manny made their way over to our table, and I nodded my head to acknowledge them.  
  
"Craig, Manny, I want you to meet someone, this is Bianca Taylor. Bianca, this is Craig Manning and Manny Santos."  
  
Craig looked like he'd just been clotheslined. "Bianca?"  
  
Bianca had the exact same surprised look on her face. "Craig?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what I said." I replied.  
  
Bianca and Craig were staring at each other like they'd seen a ghost, when all at once they both blurted out at the same time,  
  
"What are you doing here???" 


	3. Chapter Two: The Element of Surprise

Chapter Two: The Element of Surprise  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I couldn't believe it.  
  
Sitting there right in front of me, there she was. Bianca Taylor. The one that got away.  
  
I should probably back up and explain myself at this point.  
  
Before I moved and came to Degrassi, I lived in BC, and attended St. Perpetua Community School. I had grown up in BC all my life, and attended school with the same tight knit group of friends. It was in first grade that I first met Bianca. The pretty, quiet girl with the red pigtails that sat in the corner by herself. It wasn't until we both discovered a mutual love for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that we even became friends. Most girls were into My Little Pony and Barbie dolls, but Bianca liked the Power Rangers and rock music like me. Summers were spent perfecting our psuedo- karate moves, and during the winter months, when the snow got too much to bear, we'd spend our days inside with MTV or MuchMusic blaring, lip- synching to the latest Aerosmith or Nirvana video.  
  
In seventh grade though, things started to change with Bianca. Two things actually. The left one, and the right one. She seemed to go from training bras to a C cup overnight. Pretty soon, Bianca had turned into a full-blown babe, and I wasn't exactly interested in playing Power Rangers with her anymore.  
  
So I asked her out, at the Valentine's dance, and she said yes. And for the next two years, we were inseparable. Until that one fateful day...  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
"Craig, stop." Bianca said, pushing me off her.  
  
"What? Bianca, come on." I said, kissing her neck.  
  
"Craig, I said stop!" she said, more forcefully, sitting up and turning her back. I looked at her, confused.  
  
"Whoa. What's wrong with you today?" I asked.  
  
She sighed. "I have to tell you something."  
  
"Then tell me." I replied. Then I noticed the tears dripping down her cheeks. "Bianca, what is it? Whatever is it, it can't be that bad."  
  
"My dad got transferred." She replied softly.  
  
I reeled back as if I had been slapped. "What?"  
  
"My dad got trans—"  
  
"I heard what you said." I interrupted. "Where? When?"  
  
"California. Next week." She said sadly. "Craig, I'm so sorry..."  
  
"No, it's fine. I mean, what can you do about it, right?"  
  
"You're not mad?" Bianca asked.  
  
"No, why would I be mad?" I replied. I looked at my watch. "Listen, I was supposed to be home for dinner like fifteen minutes ago, so I'll call you later, alright?"  
  
"Okay." Bianca said.  
  
I got up off Bianca's bed and headed towards the door as quick as my legs could carry me, when she said the phrase that shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.  
  
"Craig, I love you."  
  
"You too." I choked out before running down the steps and out the door.  
  
As I walked outside, the lump in my throat seemed to get bigger and bigger. I walked down the sidewalk until finally my legs gave out and I sat down and wept like a child. It was like a floodgate. My best friend, my girlfriend, my partner in crime, my confidant. She was about to be ripped away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it.  
  
~*End flashback*~  
  
Like I said, I couldn't believe it. It took me nearly a year to get over that girl, and now, here she was, back in my face again. It took every ounce of strength I had in my body not to grab her and start crying all over again. I finally found my voice and asked again,  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"My dad was transferred here. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Same thing." I replied.  
  
Jimmy, Spinner, and Manny were all looking at us inquisitively.  
  
"What's going on?" Manny asked, smiling good naturedly. "Do you guys know each other?"  
  
"Yeah. Manny, we used to, uh...."  
  
"Go to high school together." Bianca finished. "Before I moved to California."  
  
I stared at her in shock. Why would she deny what we had together? Recovering quickly, I looked at Manny and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, we had a bunch of classes together, went to school together from first grade all the way up."  
  
"Wow." Manny said. "Small world, huh? I'm Manny Santos, Craig's girlfriend. It's nice to meet you."  
  
Bianca smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Manny. You've definitely got good taste in guys, I'll give you that."  
  
Manny laughed. "So, how do you like Degrassi so far?"  
  
"It's nice. Jimmy has been nice enough to let me sit with him at lunch."  
  
Suddenly, I pieced it together. Bianca was the "hot new girl" Jimmy had been talking about. The one he and Spinner were competing over. She was currently sitting between them, and they were both looking at her like she was a piece of meat. I took a deep breath and tried to avoid lashing out at them.  
  
"Well, Manny and I are gonna take off, we have....things to do. Studying in the library and all that." I said.  
  
"We do?" Manny asked, looking at me.  
  
"Yeah, we do." I replied. "C'mon."  
  
"Bye guys." Manny said. "Nice meeting you, Bianca."  
  
Bianca nodded. "You too. Bye Craig."  
  
It hurt me just to hear her say my name, so I did the only thing I could do.  
  
I ignored her.  
  
~*Spinner*~  
  
"Wow, I can't believe you and Craig know each other. That's really weird." I said, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Yeah." Bianca said softly.  
  
Jimmy looked at her, concerned. "You okay? You look like something's bothering you."  
  
"No, I'm fine, thanks." She replied with a smile.  
  
"So, Bianca, what do you do for fun?" I asked.  
  
"Um, I like to write music, sing, play guitar."  
  
"Seriously?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, why?" she replied.  
  
"You can definitely tell she and Craig were friends." Jimmy replied.  
  
Bianca smiled. "Yeah. We used to jam together back in the day."  
  
"That's cool. You know, we have a band." I said.  
  
"Really?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. Me, Jimmy, Craig, and Marco."  
  
"That's cool." She said.  
  
Jimmy cleared his throat. "So, uh....Bianca. Did you leave anyone behind in California? Like, a boyfriend?"  
  
Bianca shook her head. "No. I've been single for awhile now."  
  
"No way. A gorgeous thing like you?" Jimmy asked, flirting openly with her. I rolled my eyes. Subtlety wasn't one of Jimmy's greatest virtues.  
  
Bianca blushed. "Thanks. So how about you guys?"  
  
"Nah, I don't have a boyfriend." I joked.  
  
Bianca giggled. "You know what I mean. Girlfriend?"  
  
I sighed. "Kinda. Paige. We're kind of having problems right now."  
  
Bianca gave me a sympathetic look. "That sucks. What about you, Jimmy?"  
  
"Nope. Single and ready to mingle."  
  
Jimmy gave me a Look and I rolled my eyes. Fine. If he wanted to raise the competition bar, then let it be raised, but I wasn't going to lose to Jimmy Brooks this time. 


	4. Chapter Three: Getting To Know You

Chapter Three: Getting To Know You  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
I was anxious to get to know Craig's friend Bianca. Ever since the falling out with Emma, I haven't really had a close female friend, and Bianca seemed like a good candidate. She didn't really know anyone, and she was a friend of Craig's, so she had to be cool.  
  
She got put in my media immersion class, so while Mr. Simpson was going on and on about CPUs, I sent her an instant message.  
  
M_Santos: Hey B_Taylor: Hi M_Santos: It's Manny B_Taylor: Oh! Hey M_Santos: You into shopping? B_Taylor: Yeah. Why? M_Santos: Want 2 go 2 the mall w/ me this afternoon? There's a sale on stilettos. B_Taylor: Sure! Sounds great. M_Santos: Cool, cuz Craig won't go with me. B_Taylor: Yeah he hates to shop M_Santos: So what's up with you and Jimmy Brooks? B_Taylor: I don't know. M_Santos: He's cute, and really popular, and he doesn't have a girlfriend. B_Taylor: He is cute. M_Santos: Has he asked you out yet? B_Taylor: No M_Santos: Don't worry, he will.  
  
The bell rang. Finally the end of the day! I collected my books and backpack and stood up. Bianca walked over to me.  
  
"So, mall?" Bianca asked.  
  
"Let's go!" I said cheerfully. "I just have to stop by Craig's locker and wait for him to let him know what's up. You're bound to run into Jimmy there too." She smiled shyly.  
  
"What? Go for it, girl! He's cute!" I said, nudging her.  
  
"I don't know. I'll just wait for him to make a move." She replied.  
  
We walked down the hall together, and I began pointing out students.  
  
"That's Terri, she's really nice, but the monster next to her, that's Ashley. Hag city. She's Craig's ex-girlfriend." I replied.  
  
"And now you're Craig's girlfriend. Is that why you don't like each other?" Bianca asked.  
  
"It has a lot to do with it. That, and the fact that she's close-minded and judgmental. Anyone who would try to judge someone's reputation based on the way they dress isn't worth my time. I mean, come on, you know what I mean, our styles are similar." I said.  
  
Bianca nodded. "I totally agree."  
  
"Okay, that's Marco. He's cute, funny, and incredibly sweet, but you don't have a snowball's chance." I said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, let's just say that when it comes to dating, Marco doesn't exactly bark up our tree, if you know what I mean."  
  
"You mean he's gay?" Bianca asked.  
  
"Pretty much." I replied. Bianca shrugged.  
  
"It makes sense. He is the most well dressed boy I've seen here." She said.  
  
"Good point." I responded. "The girl that's with him, that's Ellie. They used to date, before he came out. Now they're just best friends. Watch out though, Jimmy used to like her. I guess he has a thing for redheads." I added, looking at her long, silky mane of flame colored hair.  
  
"I like her fishnets." She said as she watched Ellie walk past.  
  
"Okay, the blonde hunk walking down the hallway, Dylan Michalchek. He's built, smart, and a hockey player, but he and Marco have been flirting all year long and still haven't gotten it together yet." I said. "The girl he's talking to, that's Paige, his sister. Paige basically runs the school, so whatever you do, don't cross her. I'm on the spirit squad with her, and I always listen to what she has to say. She's Spinner's girlfriend. The girl with her is Hazel. Also on the spirit squad, also incredibly popular. Like I said about Paige, don't cross her." I said.  
  
We finally arrived at Craig's locker, to find Craig rummaging through it.  
  
"Hey Craig." I said.  
  
"Hey." He said, giving me a hug and a kiss. "What's up?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. Bianca and I are about to go to the mall."  
  
Craig dropped the pile of books he was holding, narrowly missing my foot.  
  
"Is something wrong?" I asked as I bent down to help him pick up the books.  
  
"N-no. No. Why would anything be wrong?" he replied.  
  
I crossed my arms and looked at him. "You tell me."  
  
"Nothing's wrong, Manny. I gotta go, okay? Call me later." Craig replied before turning to walk away.  
  
"Bye Craig." Bianca called, but Craig apparently didn't hear her, and kept walking.  
  
"He must have hearing problems or something." She said glumly.  
  
"He does spend a lot of time around amps." I reassured her. "Come on, let's go. I have shoes to buy, lots and lots of shoes."  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
"Craig, man, you're off tempo again." Spinner said for the fourth time, irritated. "What gives?"  
  
"Sorry." I responded. "I'm just not paying attention today."  
  
"You got that right." Spinner replied.  
  
"Spin, shut up." Jimmy said. "Let's take a break."  
  
"Finally." Marco said, sitting his guitar down.  
  
"So, Jimmy, any luck with Bianca?" Spinner asked. Marco gave me a funny look when I noticeably tensed up.  
  
"I'm working on it." Jimmy replied. "You?"  
  
"I'm progressing quite nicely." Spinner replied.  
  
"Even though you have a girlfriend! You would actually cheat on Paige?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"Of course not, I just wanna see if I can get Bianca, I don't want to date her or anything." Spinner replied.  
  
I threw my guitar to the floor, and it fell with a resounding bang. The guys jumped and looked at me. I didn't say anything, I just stormed out of Marco's basement, leaving Spinner and Jimmy staring at each other in shock. Marco, however, quickly followed me out.  
  
"Craig, what's wrong with you man?" he asked as I walked into his kitchen.  
  
"I don't know. I mean, I thought that...and he's just talking about her like....and Jimmy's not her..."  
  
"Craig, Craig, you're speaking in code. You wanna back up to the beginning and tell me what's going on?"  
  
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Opening my eyes, I quickly told Marco the history between Bianca and I. How we met, how our relationship grew into something more, the vow we made to each other, and how she walked out of my life so abruptly.  
  
"Wow." Marco said. "So, you're not over her."  
  
"Yes I am. No I'm not." I sighed. "I don't know. But I don't want Spinner toying with her emotions. And I don't know if I can handle seeing her date anyone else."  
  
"So talk to them." Marco suggested.  
  
"No way! I can't. I can't risk it getting back to Manny. Ugh, and now Manny and Bianca are friends." I said.  
  
"Have you tried talking to Bianca?" Marco asked.  
  
"Not exactly." I winced.  
  
"Not exactly." Marco repeated. "Either you did or you didn't, which is it?"  
  
"I kind of ignored her every time she tried to talk to me."  
  
Marco groaned. "You didn't."  
  
"So what should I do?" I asked.  
  
"Look at it this way, do you want Manny to find out from you, or Bianca?"  
  
I nodded. "Good point."  
  
"And you're going to have to confront Bianca eventually, you might as well make it sooner rather than later." Marco suggested.  
  
"You're right. Thanks Marco." I said.  
  
"Any time." He replied. 


	5. Chapter Four: Drama Makes The World Go R...

Chapter Four: Drama Makes the World Go Round  
  
~*Paige*~  
  
"So, Spin, I was thinking about dying my hair. Nothing crazy, but they say Paris Hilton platinum is all the rage this season." I told my boyfriend Spinner.  
  
"Huh? Yeah, rage." Spinner said. I pursed my lips and glared at him. "What? What did I do now?"  
  
"You're ignoring me, that's what you're doing now! What is up with you lately? You've had all the personality of a baked potato and not half the flavor of one." I said. I growled under my breath as I watched him stare off into space again.  
  
We were standing in the hallway by our lockers, and I had been trying and trying to get his attention, to no avail. Suddenly, something finally caught his attention. I watched him turn his head towards...a girl! That new girl! Bianca Taylor...the one Jimmy's been drooling over all week. His eyes followed her down the hall until she disappeared into the girls' bathroom. I glared at him, and then looked at my best friend Hazel. She nodded at me, and I turned to Spinner.  
  
"I'll take care of this little fixation of yours. Be right back, hun." I said.  
  
"No, wait, Paige!" Spinner said.  
  
"Spinner, if you know what's good for you, stay." I warned. Hazel and I walked into the bathroom, where Bianca was washing her hands.  
  
"So, Bianca, you're from the states, right?" I asked her sweetly.  
  
"Yeah, why?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I don't really know how they do it in Florida or Hawaii or wherever you're from, but here at Degrassi, we don't try to take other people's boyfriends." I said snidely.  
  
Bianca rolled her eyes and looked at me. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Spinner Mason, MY boyfriend? I saw you flirting with him in Kwan's class, and that little obsession he has with you? Not very healthy. So I'm just telling you now, back off, or you'll regret it." I replied.  
  
"Is that a threat, Michalchek?" she replied, staring at me.  
  
"No. It's a promise. Go near him again, and I'll make sure not a single person in school ever speaks to you again. Oh, and you may wanna stay away from Craig too. He does belong to Manny you know."  
  
"Craig and I have history." Bianca replied smoothly. "I'll talk to whomever I please."  
  
I snorted. "History? Hun, a dorky little schoolgirl crush doesn't count as History. Everyone sees how he snubs you every time you try to talk to him."  
  
"I wouldn't classify it as a crush, Paige. He's my ex-boyfriend." Bianca replied.  
  
I looked at her and laughed. "You and Craig? Yeah, right. Come on, Hazel."  
  
Hazel and I walked out of the bathroom and back over to Spinner, where Jimmy, Craig, and Manny were all standing.  
  
"Paige, what did you do???" Jimmy demanded.  
  
"Nothing." I replied. "Nothing at all. Just setting Craig's ex girlfriend straight."  
  
"Ex girlfriend?" Manny asked.  
  
"Oh my god, you didn't know? Craig and Bianca totally went out." I said.  
  
Jimmy and Manny stared at Craig, who looked like he wanted to shrink into his sneakers.  
  
"Classmates?" Manny said. "Right." She glared at him and flounced away.  
  
"Manny, wait!" Craig yelled, running after her.  
  
"Well, my work here is done." I said with a grin. "Bye guys."  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
"Manny, wait!" Craig yelled as he finally caught up with me.  
  
"Why? You lied to me, Craig!" I yelled. "Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?"  
  
Craig sighed. "I dunno. I don't know, Manny. Look, Bianca and I have a long history together, we were best friends from first grade to seventh grade, then we started dating. We were together for two years, and I was completely in love with her, and then all of a sudden she moved. It broke my heart. Took me almost a year to get over her, and when I finally started to, my mom died. So I had to deal with that. I never got over her. Then we got together, and I started to, and then here she is. Back in my life. I just didn't know how to tell you about my history with her. I'm sorry."  
  
I sighed. "I forgive you, Craig. And I know you had a life before you met me, I just wanna know about it, okay? No more lies."  
  
Craig nodded.  
  
"I have to get to class, but I'll see you after school, okay?"  
  
Craig nodded again. "Okay." He leaned down and kissed me softly. "I really am sorry."  
  
"I know." I replied. "Bye."  
  
"Bye." He replied.  
  
I walked down the hall to my media immersion class. Bianca was already in there.  
  
"Hey, Manny!" she said cheerfully.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you and Craig dated?" I asked, cutting to the point.  
  
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Paige told you."  
  
"Yeah, she did. The question is, why didn't you?" I replied.  
  
"Because I wanted you to like me. I knew that if you knew I was Craig's ex, then you'd hate me." Bianca replied.  
  
"And just how do you know that?" I snapped.  
  
Bianca looked over to where Ashley was sitting, then back at me poignantly. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Alright, fair enough. But Ashley and I have fought over Craig before. You and Craig have been broken up for two years. That's different." I said. "Look, Bianca, I like you. You're cool. So I'm gonna let this slide. But, like I told Craig, don't ever lie to me, alright?"  
  
Bianca nodded. "Alright."  
  
Before I could say anything further, Mr. Simpson walked into the room, and class was starting.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
It was after school that I finally caught up to Bianca, who was walking down the steps. Moving fast, I quickly caught up to her.  
  
"Hey." I said, slightly out of breath.  
  
"Hi, Jimmy." She said.  
  
"What's up?" I asked. "Nothing much, you?"  
  
"Oh nothing...so how come you didn't tell me you and Craig dated?" I asked.  
  
"I didn't think it was relevant." She replied.  
  
I nodded, and looked at her. Man, she was so beautiful. Her hair was down today in its full glory, a thick, long red mane that hung almost down to her waist. As he walked down the sidewalk, I couldn't resist running my hands through it. She looked up and smiled at me.  
  
"You have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen." I said. I meant it, too. It really was beautiful, and soft, and silky. Perfect.  
  
She blushed. "Thank you."  
  
"Bianca, I know you've only known me a week and all, but, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight." I asked, preparing myself for the worst.  
  
"I'd love to." She said simply.  
  
"You would?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. I think we'd have a good time." She replied.  
  
"Okay, great. I was thinking dinner, and a movie."  
  
She nodded. "Okay."  
  
"Seven okay?" I asked.  
  
She smiled. "Seven's great."  
  
"Okay, well, I'll see you then." I said.  
  
"Alright. I'll see you later, Jimmy." She said, and walked away.  
  
It was all I could do to keep from jumping for joy. I, Jimmy Brooks, had a date with Bianca Taylor, the most gorgeous girl I had ever seen.  
  
Life was good.  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
Finally.  
  
Jimmy Brooks had asked me out. I had been hoping he would ask me out since my first day of school, that day where he tried his hardest to make me feel comfortable and since then had been nothing but nice to me. Not a fake nice, like Spinner or some of the other guys at Degrassi who just wanted to get in my pants, but genuinely nice, like he actually wanted to get to know me as a person.  
  
I'll be honest. The first week at Degrassi hasn't been anywhere near easy. Paige Michalchek and her cronies had been giving me mean glares ever since she discovered Spinner had it in for me. I'd already had two guys grab my butt. And the one person I expected to be nice to me, Craig, had been treating me like a leper.  
  
That was what really bothered me. When I saw him for the first time in two years, he almost took my breath away. Still as gorgeous as ever, but all grown up. But when he refused to speak to me, it really took my breath away. Like I had been punched in the stomach.  
  
I never wanted to leave him. I loved him with all my heart and soul. As far as I was concerned, my mission in life was to become Mrs. Bianca Manning and have his babies. But fate disagreed with my mission, and I was off to California. Two years later, we moved to Toronto, and I started school at Degrassi. And the one person I thought about every day while in California? He wouldn't even acknowledge me. And that really, really hurt. I would never admit this to anyone, but at least two nights that week I had cried myself to sleep because of it.  
  
But Jimmy asking me out had definitely brightened my mood. If not for Jimmy, I may not have made it through the week. And now I had a date with him! Maybe things would finally start to turn around.  
  
As soon as I got in from school, I called Manny.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Manny, Jimmy asked me out!" I squealed excitedly.  
  
"Finally! I was wondering when he was gonna get some guts." Manny said. "So when does this momentous occasion take place?"  
  
"Tonight. He's picking me up at seven. I need you to come over and help me pick out an outfit, please?"  
  
"Okay. I'll be over right away." Manny said. "Later."  
  
I hung up the phone and fell back on my bed, beaming. Finally, after two years of staying home on the weekends, I, Bianca Taylor, had a date! 


	6. Chapter Five: Is It Okay If I Call You M...

Chapter Five: Is It Okay If I Call You Mine?  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
"So we were walking down the sidewalk, not really saying anything, and all of a sudden he runs his fingers through my hair. And then he tells me that I have the most beautiful hair he's ever seen." Bianca gushed.  
  
I mock swooned and fell back on her bed. "That's really sweet." I said.  
  
"I know! I probably turned redder than a tomato." Bianca replied with a grin.  
  
"That's so sweet. Of course, you do realize what this means, right?" I asked.  
  
"What?" Bianca asked.  
  
"That you simply must wear your hair down tonight. Give him an excuse to put his hands on you. Or at least your hair." I responded. I got off her bed and flounced over to her closet. "Alright, we gotta find something that'll knock Jimmy's socks off."  
  
"We're going to dinner and a movie." Bianca said.  
  
"Alright, well in Jimmy language, pizza and some action flick where stuff blows up." I said. "So we can't go overboard, but you can still look sexy and cute."  
  
"How about this?" Bianca said, pulling out a pale peach satin camisole top with lace trim, and a pair of dark blue low riders.  
  
"That's perfect!" I gushed. "With those black stilettos you bought at the mall, girl, you'll be stylin'. Jimmy won't be able to keep his eyes off you."  
  
"I hope so." Bianca said.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I stood nervously on the front step of Bianca's house, and mentally prepared myself to ring the doorbell. Finally, I gathered my courage and rang the bell. A few moments later, I heard the door unlock, and it opened to reveal Bianca.  
  
My jaw almost hit the step. Her hair, her makeup, and her clothes. Wow. As I looked at her silky tank top, all I could think about was what was underneath it.  
  
"Wow." I breathed. "You look great."  
  
She smiled. "Thanks, Jimmy. You do too. Um, just let me get my coat, and we'll go." Just then, the phone rang. "Dammit. Come inside, let me get this, it's probably my parents."  
  
I sat on her couch while she talked on the phone to her parents, who, apparently were on their respective business trips.  
  
"Yes, mom. I know mom. No, mom. Yes, mom. Okay, mom. Alright. I have to go. I have to go, mom. Mom, I have to....yes mom. I know mom. Mom, I HAVE TO GO! BYE!" she hung up the phone and leaned up against the wall, closing her eyes.  
  
"Problems?" I grinned.  
  
She laughed. "A little bit. If they worry about me so much I don't know why they leave me alone all the time. I mean, they plop me down in the middle of a strange town and take off, but they call every night to make sure I've done my homework." She shrugged. "Parental units are a mystery."  
  
I nodded, still staring at her.  
  
"Is something wrong, Jimmy?" she asked.  
  
"Um, it's just, I....I can't take this anymore." I breathed, grabbing her by the back of her neck and kissing her. She didn't push me away, but instead responded by kissing me back just as forcefully. I tangled my hands through her long hair and devoured her mouth. It felt so good to kiss her! I hadn't kissed anyone in a very long time, and I definitely missed it. I pushed her down onto her back and laid on top of her, one hand still tangled in her hair, the other grabbing her leg and wrapping it around me. Her hands were gripping my biceps, and I felt lightheaded. In a good way. An extremely good way. Finally though, she pulled away.  
  
"Jimmy, I think we should slow things down a little." She said gently.  
  
I sat up and rested my face in my hands. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just let my libido run away with me, you looked so beautiful, and...."  
  
She cut me off by grabbing my head and pressing her lips to mine.  
  
"I'm not complaining." She replied. "I just think that it's a little too early for us to be having sex, don't you?"  
  
"Oh, definitely." I responded truthfully. "Bianca, I really you though, I don't wanna do this whole we go out on an awkward date and I take three days to call you and you act like you don't care thing, so let's just cut to the chase."  
  
"Okay....' She said, a little uneasily.  
  
"Be my girlfriend." I said. "I know I haven't known you long at all, but I just have this feeling about you. You're so sweet and beautiful, and I just....you give me these feelings. Be my girlfriend, Bianca."  
  
She smiled, biting her bottom lip. "I would love to be your girlfriend, Jimmy."  
  
I smiled widely, knowing I must have been grinning like a fool, but I didn't care.  
  
Bianca was my girlfriend.  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
Monday Morning...  
  
It was the first day of a new week, and I was in a fantastic mood. I had had a great weekend. Shopping and manicures with Manny on Saturday, then a movie marathon with Jimmy, his friend Marco, and Marco's...errr..."friend" Dylan. But best of all? I was Jimmy's girlfriend. Nothing could bring me down.  
  
Until I actually got in the building.  
  
Manny stormed over to me and grabbed my arm. "What's wrong?" I asked.  
  
She marched me over to a wall near the water fountain and pointed.  
  
"That's what's wrong!"  
  
Written on the wall in black magic marker was:  
  
'Manny Santos is a total slut. Bianca Taylor too.'  
  
I gasped in anger. "Who did that???" I demanded.  
  
"I'll give you two guess, but you're only gonna need one." Manny said with a roll of her eyes, pointing at Ashley, who was currently watching them. When Bianca and Manny turned to glare at her, she gave a smirk and a little wave, then walked away.  
  
"What did I do to her???" I asked.  
  
"Two words: Jimmy Brooks." Manny replied.  
  
"What about Jimmy?"  
  
"She's his ex girlfriend. She's Craig's ex girlfriend. I'm Craig's girlfriend, and you're Jimmy's girlfriend. And we're friends. Put two and two together, that makes us targets."  
  
"Hey." Jimmy's voice rang out. I turned around to see him walking towards us, with Craig in tow.  
  
"Check out what you guys' ex girlfriend did." Manny said, pointing.  
  
Craig and Jimmy leaned in to read what was written on the wall. Craig adopted his patented "I'm very pissed off but I'm trying to hide it" look that I knew like the back of my hand, and Jimmy looked like he just wanted to hit somebody.  
  
"We'll be right back." Jimmy said.  
  
"Guys, wait. We'll take care of this, trust me." Manny said, pursing her lips.  
  
"Uh oh...I know that look, Manny. What are you gonna do?" Craig asked.  
  
"Let's just say we'll extract our own form of revenge." Manny replied.  
  
I looked at Manny worriedly and wondered what she had in mind. 


	7. Chapter Six: Craig's Apology

Chapter Six: Craig's Apology  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I looked up at the house before me and took a deep breath. This was it. Now or never. I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. A moment later, the door opened.  
  
"Craig?"  
  
"Hey, Bianca." I said. "What's up?" I tried to smile, pretend everything was cool.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "How did you find out where I live?"  
  
"Manny told me." I replied. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Um...." She looked back behind her, and I could hear a male voice muttering in the background. Suddenly, Jimmy appeared at the door.  
  
"Jimmy?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Just hanging out with my girlfriend." Jimmy replied. I looked at Bianca, startled, my mouth hanging open in shock.  
  
"Um, Jimmy, can you give us a second? Please?" she looked up at him.  
  
"Sure." Jimmy replied. "I'll be watching TV."  
  
Bianca stepped outside, shutting the door behind her.  
  
"You're with Jimmy?" I asked, a little hurt.  
  
"You didn't expect me to be single for the rest of my life, did you?" Bianca replied.  
  
"Well, no, it's just..."  
  
She sat down on the brick railing of her steps. "What do you want, Craig?"  
  
"I came to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting."  
  
She nodded. "You should be."  
  
"Ouch, Bianca." I said.  
  
"I just don't understand why you snubbed me like that. I mean, we have history, Craig. Ten years of being friends. Two years of being more than friends. And you ignored me."  
  
"In my defense, you were the one that told everyone we were just friends in the beginning." I replied.  
  
"Yeah, well, I figured that announcing I was your ex wasn't the best way to get in with your friends or your girlfriend."  
  
I nodded. "You're right. But she knows now."  
  
"Does she know everything, Craig? Have you told her?" Bianca asked.  
  
I shook my head. "Not everything."  
  
"Are you going to? Because I'm not. She's your girlfriend, Craig."  
  
"Have you told Jimmy?" I shot back.  
  
"Jimmy and I aren't at that point yet. When the time is right, I'll tell him."  
  
"When's that gonna be?" I asked.  
  
"When we've been dating longer than three days." Bianca responded. "Look, he's waiting for me inside, so...."  
  
I nodded, standing up. "Things are never going to be the same between us, are they?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't think so."  
  
"I miss you, B." I replied.  
  
She smiled. "I miss you too. Do you know I thought about you every night for two years? I dreamed about seeing you again, and then I finally did, and...you let me down, Craig."  
  
I nodded. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Me too." She replied. "I'll see you at school, Craig."  
  
"Bye." I said, feeling somewhat defeated.  
  
Bianca opened her door, and giving me one last glance, shut it.  
  
I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked down the steps, my head hanging.  
  
I felt like the biggest jerk in the history of the world. I had hurt the first girl I ever cared about, and I was finding out that maybe I never stopped caring about her.  
  
I sighed, and looked up at the night sky. I began walking quickly. I had my girlfriend to meet.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
"So what did Craig want?" I asked as Bianca flopped down next to me.  
  
"Um, he just wanted to make sure I wasn't too upset about what Ashley did." She replied.  
  
"Oh." I replied. I paused. "You're not, are you?"  
  
She smiled. "Jimmy, I told you, I'm fine."  
  
"Alright. I'm just worried. The girls seem to be ganging up on you a little bit." I replied, feeling genuinely bad for her.  
  
She shrugged. "I'm used to it. Manny's actually my first real female friend."  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah....all my other schools I went to....I don't know how to describe it, but the girls were just..."  
  
"They were jealous." I finished.  
  
She looked at me, surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"  
  
"Bianca, I see it, trust me. You're drop dead gorgeous and you're sweet, and you just happened to befriend the guys that have the most drama going on in their lives..."  
  
"You, Craig, and Spinner." Bianca groaned.  
  
"Yeah. The way Ashley and Paige see it, that's their property."  
  
"But I thought you and Ashley have been broken up for awhile." She said, confused.  
  
"We have. But come on, Bianca. You dated both of her ex boyfriends. That's bound to piss her off." I replied.  
  
She nodded slowly. "I guess you're right."  
  
"Let's just not talk about it right now, okay? It puts both of us in a bad mood." I said, putting my arm around her.  
  
She nodded. "Are you hungry?"  
  
"Yeah, I am." I replied. "You wanna go get a burger?"  
  
"We could." She said slowly. "Or I could cook for you."  
  
I reeled back and looked at her. "You cook?"  
  
"Yeah." She replied. "I can cook you something if you want..."  
  
"Okay, that'll be great."  
  
"Alright!" She hopped up from the couch and ran to the kitchen. I smiled at her enthusiasm.  
  
Something told me this was the start of a very beautiful relationship. 


	8. Chapter Seven: Bianca's Song, Ashley's R...

Chapter Seven: Bianca's Song, Ashley's Revenge  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
It was the start of another period in Concert Choir class. I walked in, and plopped down in my seat, dropping my book bag next to me and heaving a huge sigh. Finally, a period without Jimmy or Bianca in it. Just seeing one of them, or both of them, gave me a really bad feeling inside. Of course, this was the period I had with Ashley, but I could overlook that. Besides, singing and music was my release. No matter what problems I had, I could always get them off my chest in choir class.  
  
Fate has a way of screwing with me.  
  
I was in sitting on top of my desk, tuning my guitar, and in walked Bianca. I almost dropped my prized Fender strat at the sight of her in my safe haven.  
  
"Bianca...what are you doing in here?" I asked.  
  
"I transferred in." she replied. "You know I have to sing."  
  
I did know, I hadn't forgotten. I looked on the other side of the room at Ashley nervously. Ashley was sitting next to her best friend Terri, just watching the exchange that went on between Bianca and I.  
  
"You may wanna keep a low profile, though, B." I advised her as she slid into the seat next to me. She dropped her messenger bag on the floor next to her. I glanced at it. Black, with glittery blue stars all over it. Her outfit matched. She was wearing a black mesh tank top with a blue bra underneath, blue vinyl pants, and black stiletto boots. Her hair was down with a few small braids in it. She looked really bad ass and sexy, but I tried hard not to think about it. Instead, I tried to think about Manny. Her voice brought me out of my thoughts.  
  
She raised her eyebrows at me. "Why should I keep a low profile?"  
  
"Because Ashley's kind of the star singer in choir, and she already hates you." I replied. Bianca had a voice like an angel, and even though Ashley was a great singer, Bianca would blow her right out of the water.  
  
"So?" she responded, and began writing in her notebook.  
  
I shook my head and smiled wryly. She hadn't changed a bit. Even when people tried to intimidate her, she'd just smile at them and forge on ahead. It was an interesting virtue, but it tended to get her in trouble.  
  
Later...  
  
"Alright, who would like to try this solo? Ashley?" our choir teacher asked.  
  
"I'll try it." Bianca said, raising her hand.  
  
I looked at Ashley, who currently was giving Bianca the nastiest look she could muster.  
  
'Uh oh.' I thought.  
  
Bianca made her way up to the front, where I was already sitting with my guitar in hand, ready to play. I began strumming the song chosen, and Bianca began to sing.  
  
You know it only breaks my heart To see you standing in the dark Alone, waiting there for me To come back I'm too afraid to show If it's coming over you Like it's coming over me Crashing like a tidal wave It drags me out to sea I wanna be with you If you wanna be with me Crashing like a tidal wave I don't wanna be Stranded, stranded, stranded So baby come back to me So baby come back to me  
  
I can only take so much These tears are turning me to rust I know you're waiting there for me To come back I'm too afraid to show To come back I'm too afraid to show If it's coming over you Like it's coming over me Crashing like a tidal wave It drags me out to sea I wanna be with you If you wanna be with me Crashing like a tidal wave I don't wanna be Stranded, stranded, stranded Coming over you, Coming over me It's coming over you So baby come back to me So baby come back to me  
  
This song was making me very uncomfortable, and I was relieved when it was over. However, the choir teacher, Mrs. Rosenbaum, had other ideas.  
  
"Craig, Bianca, that was excellent! You two have such natural chemistry together! I think you two should perform this at the next student assembly on Friday.  
  
Bianca and I glanced at each other nervously. The two of us? Ex soulmates, both with significant others, performing a love song together in front of the entire school?  
  
This was Not Good.  
  
~*Ashley*~  
  
I stomped into the cafeteria at lunch, flanked by Terri, and flopped down at the table that Paige and Hazel were currently sitting at. Paige gave me a curious look.  
  
"Problems, hun?"  
  
"Bianca Taylor, that's my problem." I huffed. "First she went out with Craig, now she's going out with Jimmy, and now she's stolen my spot in choir!"  
  
"I actually thought she was pretty good." Terri commented.  
  
"Ter, that's not the point." I replied. "Between her and Manny, there won't be a single guy in school not tainted by the Superslut Twins."  
  
Paige laughed. "Well, I know what you mean. She keeps trying to make passes at Spinner, and we all know Hazel had dibs on Jimmy first. What do you say we extract a little revenge?"  
  
I smiled. "Ooh. This sounds good. What do you suggest?"  
  
"Alright, this is what we're gonna do..."  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
I chewed my sandwich and stared at Craig, who was currently looking sullen, slumped down in his seat and staring off into space.  
  
"Craig? Are you alright? You look like something's bothering you." I said.  
  
Before Craig could open his mouth to tell me what was going on, Jimmy and Bianca flopped down at our table.  
  
"Hey Manny, hey Craig."  
  
"Hey B." I said cheerfully. Craig just grunted. I rolled my eyes. "So what's up?"  
  
"Not a whole lot. Ashley the Awful has been giving me threatening looks all day though."  
  
"Get used to it. I get it all the time." I replied. "Anyway, so you guys, I was thinking, tomorrow night, double date?"  
  
"Sure." Bianca said.  
  
"Sounds great." Jimmy said, draping his arm around Bianca's shoulder.  
  
"Craig?" I asked. "What do you think?"  
  
"Oh, I can't." he said. "I have this....thing...to do. For Joey. Yeah."  
  
I gave him a Look and rolled my eyes.  
  
"Okay, fine." I replied. "Later this week, then."  
  
Suddenly, I heard a shriek directly in my ear. I jumped in surprise and turned my head to find Bianca soaking wet. With Ashley Kerwin directly behind her, holding a Styrofoam cup. In an instant, Jimmy stood up and was inches away from Ashley's face.  
  
"You did that on purpose!" he said.  
  
"Oops." She said with a smirk. "Clumsy me."  
  
Bianca stood up and glared at her. She shook her head, and without saying anything, calmly walked out of the cafeteria, leaving me, Craig, and Jimmy glaring at Ashley.  
  
"That was so uncalled for." I said, leering at her.  
  
"Yeah? So was stealing my boyfriend." She snapped.  
  
"Get over it!" I yelled. "Craig's not your boyfriend anymore! He made a choice, and he chose me. And as for Bianca and Jimmy, YOU lost Jimmy, Ashley. No one took him away. YOU screwed up. So just grow the hell up and move on." I snapped.  
  
She looked down at me and harrumphed. "This isn't over, Santos."  
  
"Hardly." I replied. 


	9. Chapter Eight: The Truth Revealed

Chapter Eight: The Truth Revealed  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I was getting used to the idea of having Bianca in my school. I was getting used to the idea of my girlfriend and my ex girlfriend being best friends. I was even getting used to the idea of Jimmy and Bianca going out (okay, not really). But that all went to hell when Bianca and I were in the music room for our free period rehearsing for the student assembly.  
  
Since Ashley had taken it upon herself to dump soda all over Bianca, she had no choice but to get another shirt out of her locker. I know this sounds stupid, but it was the shirt that shook me.  
  
Bianca walked into the music room and sat down on the stool next to me, dropping her bag on the floor. "Alright, let's get started."  
  
I looked up from my guitar at her, and almost fell off my stool.  
  
"Craig? Something wrong?" she asked.  
  
I sighed. "Only what you're wearing."  
  
She looked down. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"  
  
"Do you remember what we were doing the first day you wore that?" I asked, the hurt tone evident in my voice.  
  
"What we were....oh my god." She clapped a hand over her mouth as realization struck her. "This is the shirt...."  
  
"You were wearing the day we made love the first time." I finished. "And now it's your backup t-shirt."  
  
"Some of us don't scrapbook everything, Craig." She said softly. "And I had to move on."  
  
"No, you didn't." I replied. "You could have stayed."  
  
"Stayed? How? My family was moving to..."  
  
"I could have taken care of you." I interrupted. "Bianca, why'd you have to leave me?"  
  
"I didn't have a choice, Craig! We were fourteen! Fourteen year olds can't take care of each other!"  
  
"We could have and you know it." I snapped. Bianca sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. I recognized that look on her face...emotional exhaustion.  
  
"Craig, just play the damn song, please."  
  
~*Ashley*~  
  
I was on my way to the music room when I heard two voices inside. Looking in through the window, I saw it was Craig and Bianca. Alone, in a room together, with the door shut. This was interesting. I decided to eavesdrop.  
  
"This is the shirt..."  
  
"...you were wearing the first time we made love."  
  
My eyes widened. So not only had they been dating, they had sex too! That little fink, he told me he was a virgin! A thought sprang into my head. I bet he told Manny the exact same thing. Smiling evilly, I stood up and walked down the hall to the gymnasium, where Manny, Paige, Hazel, and the rest of the spirit squad would be practicing.  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
"Ready? Okay!" I yelled to my fellow spirit squad members. It was free period, and as always, practice for the Panther cheerleaders. Today we were practicing a new cheer I had made up.  
  
"Get on the Panther train, hey hey hey! Get on the Panther train, alright, alright! You don't need no ticket but you've got to have pride, so get on the Panther train and ride, ride, ride!"  
  
"Manny, that was such an awesome cheer. You have a serious knack for writing." Paige told me with a smile.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Hey guys." A voice said. I groaned as I connected the voice to a face – Ashley Kerwin's face.  
  
"What do you want?" I snapped.  
  
"Oh, nothing, just hanging out. Oh, Manny, by the way, did you and Craig ever get tested before you two had sex?" she asked rudely.  
  
My mouth gaped open. The nerve!  
  
"A, I don't believe that's any of your damn business, and B, we didn't need to, because we were both virgins. Any other questions?"  
  
"So Craig lied to you?" Ashley replied.  
  
"What are you babbling about?" I was getting madder and madder by the second, and if not for the fact that we had an audience, I definitely would have slapped Ashley by now.  
  
"Craig wasn't a virgin." Ashley answered matter-of-factly.  
  
I snorted. "Like Craig would really have sex with you."  
  
She shook her head, smiling. "Not me. His other ex."  
  
I saw Paige's mouth drop open and a grin crease her lips. "I knew it."  
  
I turned to Paige. "Really? How's that?"  
  
"Please, hun, you can tell by the way he looks at her that he's seen her in much less than those skanky clothes she wears." Paige replied with a shrug of her shoulders.  
  
"I don't believe it." I replied, crossing my arms.  
  
"Well, you should." Ashley replied. "I heard them reminiscing about it in the music room. He even remembered the shirt she was wearing."  
  
My stomach flip flopped. Craig and Bianca? My Craig?  
  
"Still wanna be friends with your boyfriend's ex soulmate? Or are you going to drop that loser, and rejoin our side?" Paige asked.  
  
"I..Uh...I have to go talk to Craig." I replied, running out of the gym.  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
Bianca and I were finally making the rehearsal sound good and putting everything behind us when Manny stormed into the music room and grabbed my arm. "I need to talk to you."  
  
"Manny, what's wrong?" Bianca asked.  
  
"You stay out of this, I definitely don't want to talk to you." Manny replied evenly, glaring at Bianca.  
  
I knew she was upset, so I got up and followed her out of the music room into the hallway.  
  
"What's up, Manny?" I asked, shutting the door behind me.  
  
"What shirt was I wearing?" she asked me.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The night we made love. What shirt was I wearing?" Manny replied.  
  
"I don't know....a shirt...Manny, what's wrong?" I asked. Something was up. Something big.  
  
"You told me you were a virgin." Manny said softly. "But you lied to me. You did it with her. And you remembered what shirt she was wearing."  
  
My eyes widened. "How did you..."  
  
"Ashley Kerwin overheard you." Manny replied sadly. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"  
  
"I didn't know what to say." I replied. "Manny, I'm sorry. But I can't change what happened."  
  
"I know." Manny replied. "Just do me a favor."  
  
"Anything!" I said honestly. I really cared about Manny, and I wanted to do anything to make her happy. But what she was about to ask, I wasn't prepared to do.  
  
"Never speak to her again." Manny replied. 


	10. Chapter Nine: Anatomy of a Clique

Chapter Nine: Anatomy of a Clique  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
Craig walked back into the music room slowly, staring at the floor.  
  
"Craig, what's wrong?" I asked.  
  
No reply. He just bent down and put his guitar in the case and started gathering his things.  
  
"Craig, where are you going?" I asked.  
  
"Away from you." He replied gruffly.  
  
"Did I do something?" I asked. Just when things were getting back to normal between us! I felt a lump forming in my throat.  
  
"No." he replied curtly.  
  
"Then why Craig? Why?"  
  
He picked up his guitar case and slung his book bag over his shoulder, then looked at me. He had the saddest look on his face. Like the time in fourth grade when his dog got ran over.  
  
"Manny told me to stay away from you. And I think that's what's best."  
  
"You can't mean that." I replied. "You can't. Craig, we've been friends for ten years. You been dating Manny for ten weeks. You're just gonna drop your oldest friend for no reason?"  
  
"Bianca, you and I are over. I don't want to be around you anymore. Got it?" Craig said cruelly. He was making his signature "I'm trying not to cry" face.  
  
"You don't mean that. You're lying." I replied.  
  
"No, I'm not." He choked. "Stay away from me."  
  
I shook my head in disbelief, and looked down for a moment. Then, looking back up, I met his eyes and said coolly,  
  
"Fine."  
  
I grabbed my messenger bag and pushed past him, almost knocking both of us over in the process. As soon as I got out of the music room, I ran as fast as I could to the basketball courts.  
  
I had to talk to Jimmy.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I was practicing lay ups on the basketball court when I saw Bianca running to me in tears. Dropping the ball, I hurried over to her and put my arms around her. She buried her face in my shirt and began to cry. I stroked her hair and her back, trying to comfort her.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Ashley again?" I asked. She shook her head. "Then what? Bianca, please tell me, and I'll try to fix it."  
  
"You can't fix it." She sobbed. "Manny and Craig both hate me."  
  
Now I was confused. "Manny and Craig? Why?"  
  
"I don't know why. But Manny stormed into the music room, and yanked Craig outside. A few minutes later, Craig comes in and tells me he never wants to talk to me again." She cried.  
  
"That's a very un-Craig-like move." I said.  
  
"I know! That's why I don't get it! Jimmy, is there something wrong with me?" Bianca asked me.  
  
I leaned down and cupped her face in my hands. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Bianca. Trust me. Okay?"  
  
"Then why does everyone hate me so much?" she whispered.  
  
I shook my head. "I don't know. I don't know, Bianca. It's just the anatomy of a clique. They choose one girl to tear down, and proceed to do just that. I just don't understand how Ashley could do this to you, when she's been there." I said. "Come on, let's get out of here."  
  
"Out of school? You wanna skip?" Bianca asked in surprise.  
  
"You're in no mood for school." I replied. "So let's get out of here."  
  
Bianca stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me sweetly. "Thank you, Jimmy. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
I was starting to feel the same way.  
  
The Next Day...  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
It was lunch time and I was sitting with Paige, Terri, Hazel, and, as much as I hated it, Ashley. Craig and Spinner were in line getting our food, and us girls were gossiping.  
  
"Oh my god, did you just see that?" Paige asked, gesturing to Bianca.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Lying tramp, that's all Bianca Taylor was.  
  
"She just touched Spinner!" Paige said in outrage. "This is ridiculous! First she screws Manny's boyfriend, then she goes out with Ashley's boyfriend, and now she's trying to get with MY boyfriend."  
  
"The sign in the hallway and the soda yesterday wasn't enough, obviously." Ashley replied.  
  
"Obviously." Paige agreed. "Girls, I think to make an impact on little Bianca, we're going to have to go to extremes."  
  
I had been staring at the table all this time, but when Paige said 'extremes', I jerked my head up.  
  
"How extreme?" I said. Sure, I didn't want Craig talking to her, but I didn't want to physically hurt her.  
  
"Relax, Manny. We're not gonna kill her or anything like that." Paige replied. "Here's what we're gonna do..." 


	11. Chapter Ten: Going Too Far

Chapter Ten: Going Too Far  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life.  
  
As I sat in English class, watching Paige and Ashley pass notes, I had a funny feeling in my stomach. I didn't know if I could do this.  
  
I was about to really hurt someone. Intentionally. We were just ganging up on this girl. It bothered me a little, but at the same time, I was still upset about Craig and Bianca lying to me.  
  
Paige and Ashley had nominated me to do it because I was "most wronged". When Mrs. Kwan turned around to write on the blackboard, Paige passed me a huge pair of scissors. I took a deep breath. This was it.  
  
Bianca was sitting in front of me, and her long red hair was in a French braid today. Which made things easier for what I was about to do.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
As I sat in Mrs. Kwan's English class, I couldn't help but be bored out of my skull. Bianca and I had stayed out late last night, I ended up not going to bed until two, and I was damn tired. And with Mrs. Kwan being boring as usual, I felt myself drifting off to sleep...  
  
Until I heard an ear piercing shriek next to me. I jumped and looked in the general direction of where it came from, like the rest of the class. And we were all gaping at Bianca, who had tears streaming down her face, holding the back of her head.  
  
"Miss Taylor, what is the meaning of this???" Mrs. Kwan demanded.  
  
That's when I saw it. Bianca's long red braid laying in the middle of the floor. I looked to see who was sitting behind her. Manny.  
  
Bianca stood up and ran out of the classroom. I quickly got up and ran after her.  
  
"Bianca!!!" I yelled.  
  
~*Spinner*~  
  
I couldn't believe what just happened. Manny had just chopped Bianca's hair off!  
  
When Mrs. Kwan finally figured out what was going on, she was even more angry.  
  
"Miss Santos, did you cut Bianca's hair off???" she demanded.  
  
"Mrs. Kwan, I don't know what you're talking about." Manny answered innocently.  
  
I opened my mouth to say something, but Paige gave me her "don't you dare" look. I stared at her, surprised. I didn't understand why they chose to pick on Bianca, but this time I think they'd gone a step too far.  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I waited for Manny to get out of class, and she came out surrounded by Paige, Hazel, and Ashley. Spinner was way behind them, which was odd. He and Paige were usually joined at the hip. And I didn't even see Jimmy or Bianca.  
  
"Manny, you were so great! The way you played it off was fantastic!" I overheard Paige saying to Manny. "I wouldn't be surprised if she transferred."  
  
"Yeah." Manny said softly.  
  
"That was awesome, Manny. You get an A plus in my book." Ashley said.  
  
"Thanks." Manny replied.  
  
"Well, see you at lunch Manny. Later." Paige said. As the girls walked off, I walked toward Manny.  
  
"What's so great?" I asked.  
  
"Huh?" she asked.  
  
"What did you play off so fantastically? And who were they talking about transferring?" I asked quizzically.  
  
"Oh...um...I don't know. You know how Paige is." She stuttered.  
  
"Oh. Okay." I shrugged. "Come on, I'll walk you to class."  
  
As we walked down the hallway, the intercom came on.  
  
"Manuela Santos, report to the principal's office immediately." Mr. Radditch's voice blared.  
  
I looked at her quizzically. "Manny, what did you do?"  
  
"Nothing. I don't know what's going on." She stammered.  
  
Something wasn't right. Between Ashley being so nice to her, Manny being so quiet, and the stuttering, I knew she was up to something.  
  
"Oh, well then I'll walk you and we'll both find out." I replied.  
  
"Um...okay." She said quietly.  
  
But before I could take another step, I found myself slammed into a locker, staring into the face of Jimmy Brooks.  
  
"What the hell man?" I said, pushing him back.  
  
"Really nice, Manning. You and your girlfriend are just the perfect pair. Scum." He said, pushing me back against the locker.  
  
"What are you talking about?" I replied.  
  
"I'm talking about your girlfriend hacking off Bianca's hair!!!" Jimmy yelled.  
  
My jaw dropped open and I looked at Manny in surprise.  
  
"Manny, you did what?"  
  
"I did nothing of the sort, Jimmy's just looking for someone to blame." Manny replied, that Latina attitude coming through.  
  
"Oh man, if you weren't a chick." Jimmy threatened.  
  
Now it was my turn to push him. "Hey! You do not talk to her like that. And unless you have proof, you do not accuse her of ANYTHING, you got that?"  
  
"She did it! She was the only one sitting behind her!" Jimmy yelled at me, pushing me. "What? Are you gonna do something? Wuss?"  
  
That did it. I dove onto him and we wrestled on the floor. He got on top and punched me in the face. It felt like I'd just gotten hit with a 2 x 4, my face already feeling like it was swelling. I managed to get one in though, hitting him square in the nose.  
  
"You think you can just let her and her little friends torment whoever they want?" Jimmy yelled, punching me again.  
  
"You think you can take my leftover trash? That's all she is, Jimmy, my leftovers!" I replied, shoving him into the wall. I was about to dive on him again when I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned around, and all of a sudden my face felt like it was on fire. I clapped a hand to my face where I had just been slapped, and stared at my attacker. Immediately I felt a thousand times worse.  
  
"Bianca." I said. "Bianca, I didn't mean that." I gasped as I took in her hair. It was barely at her chin, and all uneven where it had been cut. Bianca's most prized possession was her hair, ever since we were little kids. She had never even had a single haircut! Her face was tear-streaked and her eye makeup ran down her cheeks.  
  
"Your leftover trash." She repeated.  
  
"Bianca, I didn't mean it. I swear. I didn't mean it." I said pleadingly.  
  
"I wish I'd never met you." She spat, before turning around. Jimmy walked past me, pushing me a little, and put his arm around Bianca.  
  
"You messed up so bad this time." He said.  
  
"Fuck you." I spat.  
  
He shook his head, and took Bianca's hand and led her away. 


	12. Chapter Eleven: Craig and Manny to the R...

[Disclaimer: The following chapter deals with rape and assault, and will be pretty graphic.]

Chapter Eleven: Craig and Manny to the Rescue

~*Bianca*~

Eleventh grade had definitely not been my greatest year to date. First everything with Craig, then getting my hair hacked off. I had never cut my hair in my entire life, and Manny cut it off at my chin. I was self conscious about it for months. But eventually, Jimmy got me over that.

Jimmy. The only good thing in my life at the moment. I didn't have any female friends, I tended not to trust them. I felt bad for breaking up Craig and Jimmy's friendship, but Jimmy told me not to worry about it. He also quit the band. 

We dated all through the year, and life was pretty good, and finally, it happened.

No, not that! Perv! Hah, just kidding. I'm talking about the last day of school. Three months of freedom, away from having to see Manny, Paige, Ashley, or Hazel in the hallway every day. 

I exited the school building and stood on the front steps, inhaling deeply. "You smell that?" I asked Jimmy.

"Smell what?" he replied.

"Freedom." I answered. I grabbed his hand and we walked down the steps together. 

"So, what's on the agenda tonight?" he asked. 

"I don't know." I replied. "Mom and Dad are out of town again. Cruise."

Jimmy shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe your parents just leave you alone like that all the time."

I shrugged. "What can I say, I'm used to it."

"Doesn't make it right." Jimmy replied with a shrug of his own.

"Okay, so I guess it's movies and dinner at my house tonight? We could order Chinese." I suggested.

"Works for me." Jimmy replied. "Look, I gotta get home, I promised my mom I'd help her hang drapes. But I'll come by around six, okay?" 

I nodded. "Okay."

He lifted my chin and kissed me. "See you in a little while."

"Bye." I said with a smile. He smiled back, then turned and walked down the sidewalk to his house. I turned and began walking in the opposite direction. I wanted to go to the bookstore and kill some time.

Apparently, I had gone on a time killing spree, because it was dark when I got out of the store. It was already six forty two. Jimmy was going to be worried if he showed up at my house and I wasn't home. I hurried down the street.

I hadn't gotten too far when I felt like someone was following me. But every time I turned around, there'd be no one there. Finally I just deemed it my own personal demons and began to ignore the little voice in my head

"Hey." A man stood in front of me, blocking my way.

"Excuse me," I mumbled, turning to move past.

"I said hey." The man moved to block me. 

"Hey?" I looked up at him, getting nervous. "Can I help you?" I asked in my best 'angry urban girl' voice.

That must have been whatever the man was looking for. He grabbed me and pulled me into the park, hand over my mouth, back up against a tree. "Yeah, yeah you can." His voice was deep, gruff. 

I tried to scream, but his hand was too tight over my face. I kicked my legs out, trying to remember everything I'd learned in the self-defense courses my mother had made me take. I'd lived in downtown Los Angeles for two years and never had a problem, please god don't let me get raped in a tiny little town east of Toronto. The irony alone would kill me.

The man's hand made its way up my dress, roughly pulling on my nipple as I felt his tongue smush against my mouth. The taste of his saliva made me ill. "Relax and it won't hurt."

I wanted to laugh until I cried. Relax and it won't hurt?? I could feel his penis pushing up against my stomach through the fabric of my shirt and increased my struggling tenfold. I had to get away...

I didn't see the fist coming until I was flat on my back, head ringing. A second punch brought the taste of blood to my mouth, a third left me numb

"I told you if you relaxed it wasn't gonna hurt." He knelt between my legs and ripped my panties off, shoving my skirt up around my waist. I took the opportunity to scream at the top of my lungs, a tortured cry for help.

The guy jumped up with a start, erect penis flopping in the air. He hurriedly shoved himself back into his pants and zipped up. "Fucking bitch," he kicked me. He looked down at her. "Gonna get up, bitch?"

I just laid there, terrified to move.

"Bitch." He kicked me again. And again. He coughed up and spit on me, kicked me one last final time, and left.

~*Manny*~

Guilt.

It's not a very fun thing to deal with, and unfortunately, I'd been dealing with it for the majority of my sophomore year. 

I felt horrible about what I had done to Bianca. Looking back now, so what if they had slept together two years ago? Craig was with me now, and happy. We both were. Ashley had fallen for a senior named Bryce and didn't bother us any more, and our home, academic, and social lives were great. 

But I still felt bad about what I did to Bianca. It just kept gnawing at me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get rid of the feeling. I had tried to make it up to her several times, but she refused to acknowledge me or Craig. I knew it was useless.

Craig and I had just left the mall and were taking a walk down Degrassi Street, hand in hand. The last day of school had been great, and the night was going even better. 

But as we passed by the park, we heard a deafening scream. I jumped.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Yeah." Craig said, pulling me closer to him as he scanned the area. "Stay close."

As we got closer to the area we heard the scream, we heard a man shouting.

"Gonna get up, bitch? Fucking bitch!" We saw him run away, but were more concerned with the girl than with catching the guy.

She had fallen face down, and was clearly unconscious. 

"Turn her over." I told Craig. Craig kneeled down and turned her over on her back. But the second he saw her face, he fell over. I clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Oh my god, it's Bianca!"

"We have to get her home." Craig said, picking her up. "Come on."

~*Jimmy*~

Something wasn't right. It was seven thirty, and Bianca wasn't at her house. She had left the door unlocked for me and I was sitting on the couch. I sighed and looked at my watch. 

Ten more minutes, and I was going to go look for her.

Just then, I heard a loud knock on the door, and someone sobbing on the other side. The door opened, and in walked Craig and Manny, Craig carrying Bianca, who was sobbing her eyes out.

"Put me down now!" she screamed, hitting his chest. 

"Okay, okay, calm down, Bianca." Craig said, setting her down.

"Bianca?" I asked. "What happened?"

She fell into my arms, grabbing onto me for support. 

"Bianca?" My arms instinctively went around her. Like she was a child, I led her to the couch and set her down, pulling her into my embrace. "Bianca?"

She clung to the t-shirt on my chest and tried to regain some control of her emotions.

"Bianca?" I was starting to get scared now, rubbing her back. Manny and Craig were looking into the room and I gestured to them to go in the kitchen. "What happened, baby? Where'd you disappear to tonight?" I'd been worried sick all night. I'd known something was wrong...I held her tight, trying to calm her shaking. 

Still more sobs from Bianca.

"Bianca? God tell me what happened, please..." I begged, getting scared. I couldn't imagine what could have happened to make her act this way.

Her voice soft, a hysterical hiccup between each word, she managed to get out, "tried...to...rape...me..." before dissolving into tears again.

"Oh god, Bianca," I turned her face to mine, my brown eyes filling with tears when I saw what had happened to her. "Who did this to you..." I traced the bruises on her face.

She jerked in my arms, wincing a little when I tried to pull her closer.

"Where else did he hurt you?"

Bianca lifted up her tank top, showing me the bruises on her ribs. One of his feet had left a complete impression across her ribcage, "hurts to breathe," she mumbled. She started crying again as she held the shirt up. "I'm so dirty." 

"No, Bianca..." I rubbed her back. "I gotta take you to the hospital though."

"No." The first clear word I'd heard from her since Craig brought her in.

"Bianca, you're hurt, look at you, you need a doctor..."

Bianca pushed away from me, her face in her hands. "No."

"Please, let me take you to the hospital..." 

"I don't want anyone to know..."

I couldn't help but glance at Manny and Craig, who were poking their heads out, listening to what was going on. I would have promised her the moon at that point, my fear for her was so great. "Nobody will ever know. Let me just go get Spinner or Marco."

I pulled away from her slightly, and Bianca grabbed at me.

"Don't leave me, Jimmy." She clung to me and would not let go. 

"Never, baby."

~*Bianca*~

Jimmy put his arm around me and reached over for the telephone. "Get over here, Spinner. NOW."

Spinner was in my living room ten minutes later. 

"What's up, Jimmy? It's the middle of the night..." his voice trailing off when he saw Jimmy on the couch with me. "What happened?"

"Some bastard tried to rape her and beat the shit out of her. We gotta take her to the hospital." Jimmy's voice sounded alien, sad and serious.

Tears pooled in Spinner's eyes, the horror of Jimmy's words setting in, "oh Bianca, I'm so sorry."

I didn't hear a word. I was still thinking about the spit. How vile it tasted, his tongue on my face. How if just one little molecule of it had gotten into my bloodstream, if I didn't washed every little particle off, I would be dirty for life. Spit had all sorts of germs in it, you know. And I had heard him cough before he'd spit on me, so what if it was one of those nasty mucousy ones? I squirmed in Jimmy's arms, and with a start, threw up all over the couch. I burst into tears again, seeing what I'd done. "It's dirty..."

"Baby, don't worry about it," Jimmy didn't visibly react at all to the mess, just held me tight and continued to soothe me. "It's no big deal. Everything's going to be ok."

~*Spinner*~

Craig, Manny, and I had been talking in the kitchen, and decided they would take my car to the hospital. "Let's go."

"We're going for a little trip now, ok Bianca?" Jimmy was whispering softly to her as he carefully gathered her battered little body in his arms. As he picked her up, she groaned in pain. He carried her, his face close to hers, like a mother comforting a child. "Just to the hospital, then we'll come right back here. Quick little trip." 

Bianca shuddered in his arms and gasped, "Jimmy, it hurts..."

"I'm sorry baby, I have to do this..." a tear ran down his face and he tried to walk faster.

~*Bianca*~

I was faintly aware that I was being carried, and I knew I hurt all over, but nothing more than that. The constant pain had given me something to focus on, and a calm silence had come over me. I was still shaking, and my nails were dug deep into Jimmy's back, but my sobs had calmed, and I was silent for the trip to the hospital.

~*Jimmy*~

Manny, ever the savior, had called ahead to the hospital and explained the situation. Bianca and I were ushered into a private room when we arrived, and a female doctor joined them almost immediately. 

By this point, Bianca was no longer talking. The doctor gently tried to ask her about what happened, but she would just bury her head even further into my chest, tears streaming down her face. The doctor let me stay while she examined Bianca, and I held her hand as the doctor did her job. X-rays and some shots later, Bianca was sound asleep. 

It took some convincing, but the doctor finally got me to leave Bianca's side long enough to go to the hallway to talk to her.

~*Spinner*~

"Please, tell me she's ok." Jimmy looked terrible, his eyes bloodshot, clothes ragged. "I love her," his eyes found me, Craig, and Manny in the chairs outside the room. 

I got up to hug Jimmy tight, "I know you do, Jimmy." I kept my arm around Jimmy's waist to hold him up while he talked to the doctor, his anguish dragging his body down. 

The doctor looked solemnly at us. "We're going to need to keep Bianca overnight for observation, she was deeply in shock when you brought her in, but she'll be fine in the long run. She has a couple of broken ribs that will need some healing, a slight concussion, and those bruises on her face are going to look pretty ugly for a while, but she'll be fine. She was very lucky."

"Luck?" Jimmy glared at the doctor. "What kind of luck gets a sixteen year old girl beaten up and raped?"

"She wasn't raped, that's the lucky part." The doctor said softly. "Trust me, it gets worse than this. Just be there for her, she'll be ok."

"I will always be there for her." Jimmy muttered, still angry. "Can I go back in?"

The doctor nodded. "Your friends are a sweet couple, he seems to love her very much," she remarked to me. She gestured towards Jimmy, who had returned to his spot at Bianca's bedside, her hands held tight in his, his head on her stomach.

I smiled wryly. "Yeah, he does."


	13. Chapter Twelve: Paige's Guilt

Chapter Twelve: Paige's Guilt  
  
The Next Day...  
  
~*Paige*~  
  
I waited on the front steps of Bianca's house nervously after I had rung the doorbell. I hope Manny had given me the right address. The door opened to reveal Jimmy. He sighed.  
  
"Paige, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to talk to Bianca." I replied. Jimmy set his mouth in a firm line and looked at me.  
  
"Look, Paige, Bianca had a bad night and she can't handle any torment from you today."  
  
"Manny told me what happened." I replied. "And I thought she might need to talk to someone who knows what she's going through."  
  
Jimmy looked at me for a minute, then sighed and opened the door wider to grant me access. "Fine. But if you say one catty thing..."  
  
"Jimmy, I won't. I promise." I assured him.  
  
I walked in Bianca's house and up the steps, looking for her room. I found her laying in bed watching TV.  
  
"Um, hey, Bianca." I said.  
  
She didn't even look at me. "Paige, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I wanted to let you know how sorry I am about what happened to you last night." I said.  
  
"Manny told you? Surprise, surprise." She said bitterly. "Paige, why do you care? Weren't you the one who conspired with Ashley and Manny to cut off my coif and make my life a living hell for four months?"  
  
"I can't take that back, Bianca. But I am sorry. It was overkill. But the only reason Manny told me is because the same thing happened to me last year." I admitted.  
  
She finally looked at me, and I gasped at the shape her face was in. As much as I hated to admit it, Bianca was drop dead gorgeous, and had perfect skin with not a hint of a blemish. Until now.  
  
"I just thought you might want someone to talk to." I said, sitting down in the chair next to her bed.  
  
"He just picked me up off the street and grabbed me." She said softly. I didn't know what to say, so I let her talk. "There were other people on the street, and he just picked me at random. And he just....kept kicking me and hitting me."  
  
"Bianca, I know how you feel. I didn't have exactly the same experience you did, but I know how you feel." I said.  
  
She looked at me. "What happened to you?"  
  
I sighed. I disliked talking about the situation, but I had a feeling Bianca really needed to hear it.  
  
"I was at a party last year with this guy named Dean. He was the star basketball player from a rival high school we were playing that night. He invited me to a party after, and I said yes. So we're at the party, and we're alone, and he just starts....all over me. And he wouldn't stop. I told him no, but he held me down and wouldn't listen. That's when he did it."  
  
"I'm sorry." She said simply.  
  
"Me too." I replied. "But, Bianca, I got through it. And you're gonna get through it too. I had some really great friends help me get through it."  
  
"All I have is Jimmy." Bianca replied.  
  
"Again, I am way sorry about what happened. You know it is, you see other females as a threat."  
  
She started to tear up. "I used to...but now I see men as a threat too. And they used to be the only people I could trust."  
  
I sat on the bed and gave her a hug. "Bianca, I know it's hard, but I promise you'll get through it. And you can trust Jimmy. He really loves you, you know."  
  
She nodded. "I know. I wouldn't have gotten through last night if it weren't for him."  
  
"Tell him that." I said. "He needs to know." I sighed, took a deep breath, and continued. "Bianca, let's just bury the hatchet, and forget about last year, okay? I think we could help each other."  
  
She nodded. "I still miss my hair though."  
  
"I'll pay for your extensions if you forgive me." I said, cracking a smile. She looked at me for a second, and finally a smile broke through.  
  
"Alright." She said.  
  
"Okay, great. I'm gonna go, but I'll write my number down, and if you need anything, to talk, or...assemble a powerful team of head hunters to catch that asshole, just call me, alright?" I asked.  
  
"Okay." She replied. "Hey, Paige?"  
  
"Yeah?" I asked, turning when I got to the door.  
  
"Thanks." She said.  
  
I smiled. "No problem. I'll come by later this week to see how you're feeling."  
  
"Okay. Bye." She replied.  
  
"Later." I said. I exited her room, and as I did, I passed by Jimmy.  
  
"That was really cool of you, Paige." He said.  
  
I shrugged. "Yeah, well, it sucks that it took that to make me realize what a total hag I'd been."  
  
He nodded. "I just hope the rest of your friends will realize too."  
  
"I'm going to have a talk with Ashley and Hazel and set them straight." I replied. "Manny already feels awful. Just finding Bianca like that made her feel bad enough."  
  
Jimmy nodded again. "She should."  
  
"Jimmy, she wants to start over." I defended her.  
  
"Well, she needs to come over herself and start over, not send an ambassador to do it for her." Jimmy replied.  
  
"I know." I said. "I'll see you later Jimmy. Let me know how she's doing, okay?"  
  
"Alright." Jimmy replied. "See ya Paige."  
  
"See ya." I repeated. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Back to Normal

Chapter Thirteen: Back to Normal  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
It had been nearly a week since what Jimmy referred to as "the incident" had happened, and I was finally starting to get back to normal, but a few things were definitely "off" about me.  
  
I'd repaired my relationship with Manny, but talking to Craig about anything other than the weather was still out of her league.  
  
Jimmy had been getting suspicious of my reactions to Craig, so I was trying as hard as possible to get over it. But my attacker had the same complexion as Craig, all she could remember was the dark hair, dark eyes, and height. All the same, and in her nightmares, the man turned into Craig.  
  
I was recovering alright, at least I thought. The bruises on my face were still pretty bad, the doctor had been right about that, but they looked worse than they were. Emotionally, I was getting there. Of the five nights since the attack, I had only spent one alone, and that was because I needed to prove to myself I could still sleep without Jimmy right there. The test didn't go well, I got maybe an hour of sleep, spending most of the night under the covers, shivering in fear.  
  
I didn't know where the fear of being alone came from. I had been an independent person my entire life, walking to school everyday by myself at six, being left home for weeks at a time when I was 12. Here I was now, surrounded by my friends and boyfriend, and I was scared as a mouse.  
  
I had also gotten in the habit of taking multiple showers a day. It wasn't really intentional, just the slightest bit of sweat or dirt, and I felt dirty, to the point that I would obsess over the grime on my body. I figured being ultra clean couldn't be a bad thing, right?  
  
It was Saturday, and Paige had invited Jimmy and I to go to the beach, along with Spinner, Hazel, Ashley, her new boyfriend Bryce, Manny, Craig, Marco, and Dylan. I was sitting in the sand in a beach chair with Paige, Hazel, and Manny. Much to the guys' chagrin, I wasn't even in a bathing suit.  
  
"What good's a beach without the girlies in the bikinis?" Spinner asked.  
  
"You can look at Jimmy's sexy stuff, Spin." I replied, adjusting my sunglasses.  
  
"Just ain't the same, Bianca." Spinner sighed. Everyone had been flabbergasted when they found out what happened, and had made every effort to smooth things over with me. They had been incredibly kind to me the past week, stopping by house at all hours to see if I needed anything.  
  
"You're going to be back to normal in no time." Marco said, giving me a gentle hug.  
  
"Thanks." I replied. "The doctor seems to think so too."  
  
"She cleared you already?" Paige asked, lowering her sunglasses to look at me.  
  
"She says I'm making a wonderful recovery."  
  
"That's great, baby." Jimmy said, kissing my shoulder.  
  
Jimmy. Now there was a complicated subject. We were already close to begin with, but since the incident he'd been fiercely protective, almost smothering me. My head told me I should be telling Jimmy not to worry so much, that I was a big girl, but my heart loved the attention, and melted every time I saw him. And when he looked in my eyes, something in turned in my tummy, every time. It couldn't be a bad thing, right? But what if it was love?  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
"Jimmy!" Spinner had found a basketball court and was dragging me to play. "Come on, play with me." He pouted like a little kid until I finally relented.  
  
We walked to the ball court, Spinner complaining about Paige's recent fascination with the Hilton sisters, making small talk. Once we'd passed the ball around though, Spinner was ready to get to the real reason he'd hunted down the court.  
  
"How's Bianca?"  
  
"She's ok, I guess." I stopped dribbling and held the ball. "She's not the same as before, Spin."  
  
"Something terrible happened to her, Jimmy. She's going to need some time to get over it." Spinner replied.  
  
I nodded, and dribbled the ball a few times. "The sparkle's gone."  
  
"The what?"  
  
"Her eyes...they used to have this sparkle to them." I replied wistfully. "It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The sparkle's gone."  
  
"It'll come back, Jimmy."  
  
"How do I make it come back?" I looked at Spinner. He had been in this situation before, with Paige.  
  
"Just be there for her. That's all you can do."  
  
I gave up playing basketball and sat on the side of the court. "She won't talk to me about it."  
  
"She will eventually, Jimmy." Spinner sat down next to me. "One of these days, she's going to need to open up. All you can do is be there for her when she needs you."  
  
I bit my lip. "I want to do something now though."  
  
"You can't, Jimmy. Let her heal on her own time."  
  
"I want to make the pain go away. It drives me crazy, hearing her scream in her sleep, not being able to help." I looked at the ground and sighed. "I want to protect her."  
  
"I know, I know." Spinner replied.  
  
"What kind of person could do something like that to her...monster..." I muttered.  
  
Spinner patted my back reassuringly. "She's going to be okay, Jimmy. Just be there for her."  
  
"Guys, what are you doing? Marco and Dylan are having issues with the fire, and Craig's too much of a rock star to help." Paige looked at us at the edge of the court, hands on her hips.  
  
"Be right there." Spinner said.  
  
"I want her back the way she was." I said.  
  
"She will be, Jimmy. I promise. Soon." Spinner replied.  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
"Okay, everybody, gather round, I have an announcement to make." Paige called as everyone was roasting hot dogs.  
  
Spinner, Jimmy, Bianca, Hazel, Marco, Ashley, Bryce, Craig, and I all looked at Paige, meanwhile, Paige's brother Dylan just gave her THE LOOK.  
  
"Don't you mean WE have an announcement to make?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.  
  
"Whatever." Paige replied. "Fine, Dylan, go ahead."  
  
"Okay, our parents own this beach house in the Caribbean..." Dylan started.  
  
"And as you know, they're currently on they're second honeymoon in Europe." Paige interrupted.  
  
"Leaving the house all alone, all summer long." Dylan interrupted her and shot her another look. Paige gave him a mischievous grin and interrupted him again.  
  
"You may remember our Uncle David is a pilot and has one of those little planes." She said.  
  
"So what Paige is trying to say, who wants to spend a week in the Caribbean for practically nothing?" Dylan asked.  
  
I almost fell over at the news, and looked at Craig excitedly. A week in the Caribbean? With no parents? Craig looked at me and smiled.  
  
"Wow!" I said.  
  
"So, is everybody going?" Paige asked.  
  
Everyone said yes, and were buzzing excitedly, until a meek voice said softly, "I can't."  
  
We all looked at Bianca, who was currently staring at the sand.  
  
"Oh c'mon, B. You need a change of scenery." Paige said.  
  
"Come on, Bianca, please?" I asked, grabbing her arm.  
  
"Yeah, baby. It'll be fun." Jimmy said, tipping her chin up to look at him.  
  
She looked around at all of us, who were smiling encouragingly at her. Finally, she gave us a small smile.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Whoo-hoo! This is gonna be the best vacation ever!" Paige said. 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Vacation

[Author's Note: Now that we officially have a story going, we can start building on other plotlines involving some of the other characters! Yay!]  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Vacation  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
Bianca, Paige, and I were shopping. We figured we could use some 'bonding time', and Paige and Bianca wanted to get to know each other better, they had been enemies all year who knew nothing about each other. But now, they had a common ground, sad as it were, to link them. Besides, Paige figured we all needed to get the best in "proper Caribbean attire", as she put it.  
  
"What about this?" I held up a slinky bikini.  
  
"That's cute, for you or Paige." Bianca said.  
  
"I think she meant for you, B." Paige said. "Gotta get something to make Jimmy drool."  
  
"Please." Bianca pushed the suit away. "I can't wear that."  
  
"Sure you can..." I started.  
  
"No, Manny, I really can't." Bianca sighed. "My stomach's still one big bruise. I even have a nice brown footprint."  
  
"Oh. Sorry, Bianca, I shouldn't have pushed." My face fell.  
  
"No, it's okay." She pulled a one piece off the rack. "This is nice..."  
  
"That's really nice." Paige and I agreed.  
  
"So how is everything, really?" Paige asked.  
  
"Things have been okay. I just feel like maybe I'm holding Jimmy back or something. I'm so dependent on him..." she sighed.  
  
"I'm sure he doesn't mind, B." Paige replied. "Anyone can tell that Jimmy's head over heels for you." She paused. "What about everyone else?"  
  
"Well, of course you guys are being nice to me, and the other guys have been great. Even Ashley's being nice to me."  
  
"What about Craig?" I asked.  
  
She sighed. "I can't yet. You don't understand. The man that attacked me...he was built like Craig, same hair, dark eyes, everything. And when I came to, Craig was the first person I saw. I know he didn't do it, he wouldn't ever do something like that, and he couldn't have...he was with you, but still...."  
  
I nodded. "I understand."  
  
"I even have nightmares about it. I still don't know what to tell Jimmy."  
  
"You'll figure out. I didn't know how to explain it to Spinner when we got together, and one day it just spilled out." Paige replied. "But I'm glad you're getting along with everybody. We're gonna be in the Caribbean for two weeks, might as well get along, right?"  
  
"Might as well." Bianca replied.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I squinted my eyes as we stepped off the plane onto the airfield. "Oh wow." I said, shielding my eyes from the sun. "Is it always this bright?"  
  
"It's gorgeous, isn't it." Paige asked me as we walked towards the gates.  
  
"I'm not used to this, I'm Canadian." I joked.  
  
"A little sun won't kill you." Bianca reminded me.  
  
I grinned and put an arm around her shoulder. "I guess you're right."  
  
"But it might kill me, so, will you unzip my backpack and get my sunscreen out?" I asked.  
  
"Sure." I replied.  
  
"I'm not used to this sun." Spinner remarked to Paige.  
  
"Me neither." She replied. "But I could get used to it."  
  
We boarded a bus that would take us to Paige and Dylan's beach house, and as we stepped off the bus, everyone's mouths gaped open, while Paige and Dylan looked proud of their family's asset. The house was huge!  
  
"Okay, there's six bedrooms, so Hazel and Ellie, you guys can share, and then Spinner and I are sharing one, Craig and Manny, you're sharing one, Ashley and Bryce, you're sharing one, Jimmy and Bianca, you're sharing one." I smiled at Bianca. "Oh, and uh, Dylan and Marco, you're sharing one." Paige grinned when she said the last part.  
  
"I guess we just pick the one we want." I suggested Bianca as we walked inside.  
  
"Whoa." She said, looking around. Whoa was right. The house looked like something out of the Real World, with cool furniture and Caribbean-inspired decorations.  
  
"The house has four bathrooms, a kitchen, a main dining room, two living rooms, a pool and a hot tub out back, and a sun room with pool, air hockey table, and a pinball machine." Paige also yelled as everyone scattered.  
  
"We'll see you guys next week!" Spinner yelled, picking up Paige and throwing her over his shoulder, Paige squealing as he ran up the steps.  
  
"They'll be in bed til then, I'm sure." Ashley said scornfully.  
  
"Nothing wrong with that, honey." Marco said as he and Dylan went off to find their own room.  
  
"Oh wow. Speaking of staying in bed..." Manny laughed.  
  
"You mean, us, right?" Craig said, chasing her up the stairs. I looked at Bianca and shook my head, and she smiled.  
  
Bianca and I found a room we wanted, and I threw our suitcases on the bed.  
  
"This is gonna be a great trip." I said. 


	16. Chapter Fifteen: A Little Too Much Fun

Chapter Fifteen: A Little Too Much Fun  
  
~*Manny*~  
  
"Here I'd been thinking we wouldn't see you until at least Monday." I walked into the kitchen, surprised to find Spinner holding a cup of coffee. "And please don't tell me you made that."  
  
Spinner laughed, and shook his head. "Hazel did. And as for the rest..." he winked. "I wore the poor girl out."  
  
I poured myself a cup, and pointed towards the pool. "I'm gonna take this outside. Care to join me?"  
  
Spinner shook his head. "Gotta bring some of this back to the lady. I think Hazel's still out there though, and Marco too."  
  
"Have fun." I replied. "Morning!" I said, as I let myself out.  
  
"Hey girl." Hazel greeted me.  
  
"Well aren't you in a good mood." Marco noted. "You've been one big ray of sunshine since we got here."  
  
"What can I say?" I shrugged. "I just needed to get away from things for awhile. You know, I've seen you since last night, but I haven't seen Dylan. Is he having a good time?"  
  
Marco blushed. "He has. He's um, sleeping now."  
  
Hazel laughed. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, honey. Enjoy yourselves."  
  
"I uh, think I'll get back to...Dylan. Later." Marco stood up, and walked back inside. Hazel and I looked at each other and grinned.  
  
"Finally!" Hazel exclaimed. "I swear, I thought I was going to have rip their clothes off and throw them together myself!"  
  
I laughed. "Now that would have been a sight."  
  
"A sight I wouldn't mind seeing." Hazel replied.  
  
"Oh yeah." I replied with a mischievous giggle.  
  
"Wouldn't mind seeing what?" Craig asked as he came outside, guitar in hand.  
  
"Oh, um, nothing." I looked at Hazel and tried to suppress a giggle.  
  
"Where is everyone this morning?" Craig asked, strumming a random tune on his guitar.  
  
"Where do you think? In bed!" I replied, nudging him. "Or did you forget about last night?"  
  
Craig blushed a little. "So", he said, stopping his strumming to tune a chord. "What's on the agenda today?"  
  
"Hazel, Ashley, Bianca and I are gonna explore the shopping in town. Wanna come?"  
  
Craig wrinkled his nose. "You left your shopping in Canada to come to the Caribbean to...go shopping?"  
  
"It's different shopping, Craig! Tourist-y stuff." Hazel replied.  
  
"I dunno." Craig had found a tune this time and was strumming it loud and proud, a sunny, happy melody.  
  
"Come on, where else can you find the shrunken head of a native?" I asked.  
  
Craig stopped strumming. "A real shrunken head?"  
  
~*Spinner*~  
  
I walked into mine and Paige's bedroom, carefully holding two mugs of coffee. "Paige? You up?" I asked, staring at her form, covered only by a thin white sheet.  
  
"Barely." She replied, not moving.  
  
"I brought you some coffee." I said, setting it down on the bedside table.  
  
"I think I'm gonna need it." She replied. She sat up, covering herself with the sheet, and drank from the mug. "Man, that's good coffee."  
  
"I think it's Jamaican." I replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. "So..."  
  
"So." She agreed, looking at me. I couldn't help but smiled at her messy hair.  
  
"Did you have fun?" I asked.  
  
She smiled, and kissed me. "Last night was the greatest night of my life."  
  
"Really?" I asked.  
  
"Really." She replied.  
  
"You wanna get some breakfast?" I asked, retrieving her clothes off the floor.  
  
"In a minute." She replied. "Gavin?"  
  
My head snapped up. She only called me Gavin when she was mad at me. "Yeah?"  
  
"I love you." She replied.  
  
"I love you too, Paige." I replied, kissing her gently. She kissed me back, more forcefully, and I laid down on top of her, pulling my shirt over my head.  
  
"What about breakfast?" she asked as I kissed her neck.  
  
"Screw breakfast." I replied, pulling the covers over us.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I slowly came into consciousness and stretched, the sun warm on my face. Turning to Bianca, I ran my hand over her shoulder and then gently kissed it. "Bianca? You up?"  
  
"Mmmm." She muttered, rolling toward me and burying her face in my chest, snuggling up closer. I smiled, and stroked her hair.  
  
"Come on, baby, let's get up. We're in the Caribbean." I reminded her.  
  
Finally, she rolled over on her back and stretched, opening her eyes. "Morning." She said.  
  
"Morning." I replied, kissing her. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Like a rock." She replied, stretching again. I eyed her carefully.  
  
"You sure? No nightmares?" I asked.  
  
"No nightmares." She agreed.  
  
"Are you still going shopping with Manny and the crew?" I asked.  
  
"Yup." She replied.  
  
"Then we should probably get showered." I said, getting up.  
  
"Um, Jimmy, as hot as I'm sure it would be, I think you should shower alone." She replied.  
  
"Who said I was offering?" I teased as I walked out of the room to head to a bathroom.  
  
"Very funny!" she yelled.  
  
~*Marco*~  
  
I couldn't believe this was my life. Lying in a bed in the Caribbean while being wrapped up in the arms of someone I had wanted for what seemed like forever didn't happen in real life. It happened in movies. But somehow, I was lucky enough to have it happen to me. I sighed happily.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Dylan asked.  
  
"You. This. Us." I replied, rolling out of the "spoon" position to look at him.  
  
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Dylan asked.  
  
"Definitely amazing." I replied, staring into his eyes.  
  
"So what do you wanna do today?" he asked, tracing lazy circles on my arm.  
  
"I don't know." I replied. "What do you wanna do?"  
  
"We could go into town, see the sights. Or we could just lay on the beach all day." He said. He was hovering above me now, his face inches away from mine. "Or..." he murmured, running his fingers over my lips. "We could stay in bed."  
  
"I think I'll go with..." I started, but Dylan cut me off by kissing me passionately. I wrapped my arms around him and tangled my fingers in his sandy blonde hair, and quickly forgot about the rest of the world.  
  
~*Ellie*~  
  
I slammed the cabinet door angrily, startling Hazel, Paige, and Spinner who were all sitting at the counter eating. Getting the eggs out of the refrigerator, I slammed that too. After a few more slams, Paige cleared her throat.  
  
"Ellie, something wrong, hun?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." I replied. "It's just....dammit is everyone else in this house having sex except me???"  
  
Hazel sheepishly raised her hand. "Um, me."  
  
Paige looked guilty. "Perhaps we should have invited Sean."  
  
I glared at her. "Sean is not my boyfriend."  
  
Spinner scoffed. "Sure he isn't, Ellie. Just like I'm not the most amazing lover in bed like....ever."  
  
Now it was mine and Hazel's turn to scoff, and the second we looked at each other, we burst into uncontrollable laughter.  
  
"What? I am!" Spinner replied.  
  
"Thanks for cheering me up Spin." I said, walking out of the room, leaving Spinner grumbling to himself, and Hazel still laughing.  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
"So tell me again why Paige didn't come with us? She lives for shopping." I asked as Hazel, Manny, Ashley and I walked around the busy town streets.  
  
"Four words, Bianca. Headboard. Banging against bed." Manny replied.  
  
"Hey, Ellie and I have the room right next to you and Craig, so don't act like the same sound effects weren't coming from your room last night." Hazel reminded her.  
  
"Yeah, well, Bryce and I are next to Dylan and Marco, and you don't even wanna know what we heard coming out of there." Ashley said.  
  
"Don't be so sure of that." Manny replied with a grin. "I wouldn't mind hearing."  
  
"Or watching." Hazel added.  
  
Ashley rolled her eyes. "You guys are sick."  
  
"And anyway, Ash, full on pot meet kettle! I mean, you and Bryce were making some interesting sounds too, Craig and I are right across from you." Manny reminded her.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "I think all of you guys are having a little too much fun." 


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Waiting For Tonight

Chapter Sixteen: Waiting for Tonight  
  
~*Paige*~  
  
I was ten seconds away from a total meltdown.  
  
It was seven eighteen pm, and the gang had a reservation for seven thirty. The logistics of our plight was this: Craig couldn't find his fake ID to go to the club later. Ellie insisted on wearing a pair of fishnets that had a run in them. Hazel lost her wallet. Manny had just burned off a piece of her hair with the curling iron. Dylan and Marco wouldn't leave their room. And Spinner wasn't even dressed yet!  
  
"Spinner, for the last time, go get dressed!" I yelled. "Hazel, where was the last place you left your wallet?"  
  
"Paige...."  
  
"Manny, I'll fix your hair in a second! Will somebody please get Marco and Dylan out of their room and tell them to get some clothes on? We have to be there in less than fifteen!" I yelled, stomping down the steps. I ran into the living room to find Jimmy and Bianca cuddling on the couch, ready to go.  
  
"At least someone's ready...can you guys help?"  
  
"With what?" Bianca asked.  
  
"Fix Manny's hair, find something for Spinner to wear, convince Ellie she doesn't need fishnets to survive, find Hazel's wallet, find Craig's fake ID, and get Dylan and Marco off each other long enough to have dinner." I said.  
  
Jimmy and Bianca looked at each other.  
  
"Ummm....I'll take Hazel, Ellie, and Manny, and you can take Craig and Spinner?" Bianca suggested.  
  
"Works for me." Jimmy said. They got up, and began heading towards the steps.  
  
"What about Dylan and Marco?" I asked as they ran up the steps.  
  
"I'm not touching that." Craig replied.  
  
"He's your brother, you fix it." Bianca replied.  
  
"I don't wanna see my brother naked!" I yelled in disgust.  
  
"Neither do we!" they yelled back.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
By some miracle, we made it to our reservation only ten minutes late, and the ten of us were seated at a long table in the back. The food was excellent, and everyone was getting along. Everyone had their fake IDs on them, and pretty soon we had gone through several bottles of wine. The meal ended, and we all began walking back to the beach house.  
  
I hadn't been able to stop staring at Bianca the whole night. She looked simply stunning, in a black asymmetrical salsa dress with halter straps, black strappy stilettos, and her hair pulled back in an elegant French twist. She wore minimal makeup, just mascara and lipgloss, and just looking at her in that dress and feeling the effects of the wine made me think all sorts of things.  
  
"Want to take a walk on the beach?" I suggested as we walked back to the house.  
  
"Sure." She replied.  
  
We walked down the beach and both took off our shoes, and began walking, the waves lapping at our feet. She started to get chilly, so I took off my jacket and put it around her shoulders.  
  
"Are you having fun so far?" I asked her.  
  
"Yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Bianca replied.  
  
"I just wanted to know how you were doing since..." I couldn't bring myself to say the last part. She took my hands, forcing me to look at her.  
  
"Jimmy, I'm doing a lot better. Really. You've been so great about everything, not pushing me to talk about it, being there for me every night, being the greatest boyfriend...and friend...that I've ever had." She replied. "Jimmy..." she started to tear up.  
  
"What? Bianca, what is it?"  
  
"I couldn't..." she choked.  
  
"Couldn't what?" I asked.  
  
"I couldn't have made it through the past week without you." She replied, tears streaming.  
  
I sighed. "Baby, come here." I held her in my arms and wouldn't let go, until she pulled away.  
  
"I love you, Jimmy." She said, looking into my eyes. I smiled. "I love you too, Bianca."  
  
She stared into my eyes, and as I stared back I saw what she wanted...the exact same thing I wanted.  
  
"Jimmy...."  
  
"Shhh...." I whispered, cupping her face in my hands and kissing her passionately. Her arms went around my neck, kissing me with just as much passion.  
  
"We should take this back to the house." I murmured, picking her up and walking up to the house.  
  
We walked in to find the house seemingly empty. Everyone was at the club except Marco and Dylan, who I knew were shacked up in their bedroom. I carried Bianca into our bedroom, shutting the door with my foot and gently depositing her on the bed. Hovering over her, I gently stroked her cheek, which still had a hint of bruise to it.  
  
"You sure?" I asked, kissing her softly.  
  
"I'm sure." She whispered. "Take me, Jimmy, I'm yours."  
  
"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that." I replied. I leaned down and kissed her softly, then sighed, unprepared to admit something I knew I had to admit. "Bianca, I've never done this, so..."  
  
She kissed me gently. "I know. It's alright. It'll come naturally." She reassured me.  
  
I nodded, getting more serious now. I settled my body weight on top of her and ran my fingers through her hair, reaching around to untie her halter top. I kissed her neck softly, and she sighed, arching it to give me better access to it.  
  
I suddenly felt this...overwhelming need to be good. No, great. No, fantastic. I knew Craig had been her first, and I had to outdo him.  
  
One hand tangled in her hair, and I pulled her mouth to mine, kissing her passionately. The other hand was holding her leg up against me, wrapped around my back. I grinded up against her, and she moaned in anticipation of what was to come.  
  
I pulled the top of her dress down, smoothing it down her legs until it pooled in the floor. I gasped as I took in the sight of her lying before me in only a black thong. Her skin was soft and the palest ivory, and her sweet little body laid out before me was like a buffet...only I didn't know where to start.  
  
"You are definitely overdressed for this party." She told me, pulling my shirt over my head. She laid back down, and I laid on top of her again.  
  
"You like?" I asked.  
  
"I definitely don't see you shirtless enough." She replied, running her hands down my back. I kissed her fiercely, biting her lower lip. She moaned, gripping my shoulders. Her skin was hot, and felt so good against my skin. I kissed down her neck, nipping at her collarbone, and she was loving every minute of it. I reached her breasts, and looked up at her.  
  
"Touch me, Jimmy, please." She said. I definitely obliged. A little more foreplay, and we were ready. But as I stood up to get my pants off, we encountered another dilemma. "Jimmy, do you have anything?"  
  
I sighed. "Hold on." I left the room, shutting the door behind me, and headed to Dylan and Marco's room. I knocked on the door loudly.  
  
"Busy!" Marco yelled. I heard him laugh and say softly, "Oohhh, right there." I grimaced. I really didn't need to be hearing that, but I DID need a condom.  
  
"Marco, man, it's Jimmy, open up!" I yelled.  
  
"Jimmy, come back in an hour or so, okay?" he yelled back. "Damn, Dylan..."  
  
"Marco! Man, I need a condom! I know you have one."  
  
"Dammit." I heard Marco mutter. A few moments later, the door opened a crack and Marco stuck his head out.  
  
"Marco, you may wanna bust out a turtleneck." I noted, looking at the hickey at his neck. He smiled and shrugged.  
  
"Alright, what did you need?" he asked.  
  
"Condom." I replied.  
  
"You mean you and Bianca...."  
  
"Yeah. She's waiting for me right now, so come on, do you have one?"  
  
"You dog! Hold on a sec." the door slammed shut. "Dylan, hold on...Dylan, stop!" Marco laughed. The door opened a second later, and Marco stuffed a handful of condoms in my hand. "If you need anything else, write me a note, I'll get back to you later. Have fun." The door shut again, and I heard him say, "Now, where were we?" I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh, and went back to my girl.  
  
~*Marco*~  
  
I headed back to the bed, eyeing Dylan. He had kicked the covers off him and was lying there totally naked. My mouth, of course, was watering.  
  
"So what did Jimmy want?" he asked nonchalantly.  
  
"Condoms." I replied, getting back into bed.  
  
"So he and Bianca are finally going for it?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Good for him." He replied. He rolled over on his side, staring at me. "But I don't wanna talk about Jimmy's sex life."  
  
"You wanna talk about our sex life?" I replied, running a hand up his side.  
  
"Why talk about it when we can act it out?" he replied, pouncing on me.  
  
~*Bianca*~  
  
I sighed happily as I laid in bed next to Jimmy, who currently had his arms wrapped around me.  
  
"Wow." He said simply. "So that's sex."  
  
"Pretty mindblowing, huh?" I asked.  
  
He nodded. "Oh yeah." He kissed my shoulder softly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." I replied. I turned around to face him. "You know, it is only 1 am."  
  
"So?" he replied.  
  
"So the night is still young." I replied with a sly smile.  
  
"You mean you wanna..." he trailed off, and looked at me. I kissed him passionately.  
  
"C'mere." I said, and he did just that.  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
It was about 3 am when we all piled back into the beach house. We had had an excellent time at the club...  
  
"Man, I have never drank so much vodka in my life!" Spinner yelled.  
  
Some of us more than others. "Spinner! Shhh!" Paige hissed. "Dylan and Marco are probably asleep.  
  
Ellie snorted. "Yeah right. You can probably still hear the bed squeaking."  
  
As we all climbed the stairs, we listened carefully for the sounds of beds squeaking, but we heard it from a different room.  
  
"Who is that?" Manny asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.  
  
"Okay, wait a minute...Ashley and Bryce, Manny and Craig, Ellie, Hazel, Spinner, me..." Paige said our names aloud as she looked at us.  
  
"Mmmm, Jimmy..." we heard from the inside. I almost fell over.  
  
"Oh my god, that's Bianca!" Manny whispered excitedly, giggling.  
  
"Finally!" Hazel exclaimed.  
  
"Shhh!" Everyone hissed at her.  
  
"Oh, wow. I'd wondered where they disappeared to tonight." Paige giggled. "Alright, with that, bedtime."  
  
As everyone scattered back to their rooms, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach. Jimmy and Bianca...together? I knew they were dating, but the fact that they were sleeping together really, really bothered me. 


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Morning After

Chapter 17: The Morning After  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I slid out of bed the next morning, leaving Bianca sleeping peacefully, to go get some food. I looked at her and smiled.  
  
Last night had been amazing. Nothing on earth could compare to it. It was like something out of a movie...making love to my beautiful girlfriend in a house in the Caribbean. Everything had been perfect, and I definitely wasn't going to be ready to leave when this trip was over.  
  
I walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Paige, Spinner, Manny, and Craig were all sitting.  
  
"Morning." I said, strutting into the kitchen with a grin on my face.  
  
"Afternoon, Jimmy." Paige corrected me. "It's 1 o'clock, if you didn't notice."  
  
I looked at the clock. "So it is."  
  
"Did you sleep well?" Manny asked me.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Why?"  
  
"With...?" Manny finished up. I almost spit out the coffee I had just poured. "Damn, Paige, you're a bad influence on Manny."  
  
"She's fine." Manny replied. "So...you and Bianca."  
  
"Me and Bianca." I repeated.  
  
"Have fun last night?" Spinner replied.  
  
"At dinner, you mean?" I replied.  
  
"I don't think that's what Spin meant, Jimmy." Paige replied.  
  
"Then what do you mean?" I replied, playing dumb.  
  
"Give it up, Jimmy. We heard you when we came in last night." Spinner replied. "Nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
I looked at them, and saw Craig sitting at the table next to Manny, sulking.  
  
"You guys really expect me to give you details?" I responded.  
  
"Yup." Manny, Spinner, and Paige replied.  
  
Suddenly, Craig jumped up from the table, his chair hitting the wall with a loud bang, startling everyone, and ran out on the deck.  
  
"Okay, what's his problem?" I asked Manny. She shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. He's been like this all morning. But getting back to you and Bianca...." She replied.  
  
"I am not giving you guys any details!" I responded with a laugh.  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Jimmy. Enquiring minds wanna know." Spinner replied.  
  
"You wanna know?" I replied. "Buy the book." I grabbed two cups of coffee, one for myself, one for Bianca, and headed back upstairs.  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I sat on the sandy beach, watching the waves roll in, thinking about everything that had happened in the past year. I cheated on one girl with another, dumped them both, and went back to the girl I cheated with. And then, just when things were getting back to normal, the girl I had never really gotten over rolls back into town. Things had been nothing but complicated for the past few years...I wondered if they'd ever go back to normal.  
  
I thought about Jimmy and Bianca, and my hands balled into fists involuntary. I could deal with them being friends, and I could deal with them being boyfriend and girlfriend, but just the thought of Bianca being with someone else made me sick. Jimmy got to touch her and be touched by her, and be inside her...something I used to do. She had promised me a long time ago that I would be the only one, and she lied.  
  
And I had made up my mind. I was going to call her on it. 


	19. Chapter Eighteen: It's Not What You Thin...

Chapter 18: It's Not What You Think  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I needed to talk to Bianca alone. And since Jimmy was currently in the shower, and Manny was out by the pool tanning with Paige, now was the perfect time. She was sitting on the couch, flipping through the TV, trying to find something on the satellite.  
  
"Hey, Bianca." I said, sitting down next to her.  
  
She jumped about three feet in the air, which in turn freaked me out a little too.  
  
"Whoa!" I said. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Um...yeah. I'm...okay." She said, sitting stiff as a board and looking at me. I didn't like the look she was giving me, and I didn't understand it either.  
  
"So, you like the Caribbean? You having fun?" I asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Yeah. It's fun." She replied, scooting down the couch away from me. I gave her a confused look.  
  
"Bianca, what's wrong?" I asked.  
  
"Ummm...n-nothing. Nothing. Nothing's wrong." She stood up quickly. "I gotta go."  
  
"Bianca, I needed to talk to you." I said.  
  
"Well, um...we'll talk later. Or talk to...Manny. She talks. Paige too. Bye." She turned to leave, and I grabbed her arm. I stood up and walked around the couch to where she was, still holding onto her arm.  
  
"Where you going?" I asked.  
  
"Craig, let go of me." She said, pulling away. I still didn't let go of her arm.  
  
"Bianca, what the hell's wrong with you?" I asked. I really didn't understand how she was acting.  
  
"Let go of me." She said, louder this time.  
  
"Bianca, I just want to talk to you!" I said, exasperated. "Is that so wrong?"  
  
"I said let go!" she yelled, pushing at my hand to make me let go.  
  
"Bianca calm down!" I said sternly. I didn't know why she was freaking out, and I didn't really like it either. She didn't have to freak out around me. I was Craig. Her Craig. Or at least I used to be, before Jimmy came along.  
  
"Let go!" she screamed. "You're hurting me!"  
  
"I am not hurting you, I just want to talk to you." I said, pulling her closer to me. "Now just calm down!"  
  
That's when she drew back and hit me across the face, her ring splitting my cheek. I grabbed the arm that had hit me, forcing both arms down.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" I yelled.  
  
"Let me go!!!" she screamed, trying to pull away.  
  
"Bianca, I'm not letting go, so just get over that, I need to talk to you."  
  
"Let her go." A deep voice said. I looked up to see Jimmy walking down the steps in nothing but a pair of jeans. He was still wet from the shower. Ellie was behind him. She had probably ran and told him what was going on.  
  
"Jimmy, chill out. I just need to talk to her. It's no big deal."  
  
"Take your hands off her." Jimmy said. He was about a foot away from me now, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Oh, like you didn't have your hands all over her last night?" I sneered.  
  
"LET ME GO!!!" Bianca screamed.  
  
"Craig, let her go." Manny said.  
  
"Why? I'm not doing anything, I just wanna talk to the girl." I told my girlfriend. "Why is everyone freaking out?"  
  
"Because you're scaring her, Craig!" Paige yelled. "Let her go."  
  
"Fine!" I yelled. I let go of her arms just as Bianca was pulling away again, and she tumbled to the floor, hitting her head. She held her head in pain, sobbing. Jimmy rushed over to her side, helping her up.  
  
"Damn, baby, are you alright?" he asked. She said nothing, just stared at me. As I stared back, that's when I registered the fear in her eyes. Oh god. What had I done?  
  
Jimmy stood up, glaring at me. "Paige, can you get Bianca some ice for her head?"  
  
"Sure, Jimmy." She said softly, helping Bianca up. "Come on, Bianca."  
  
When Ellie, Paige, Manny, and Bianca went into the kitchen, it left just me, Spinner, and Jimmy.  
  
"You, me, outside, right now." He said.  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
I followed Craig out on the porch, trying to fight the urge to beat him to a bloody pulp. At least until we were out of the girls' sight.  
  
"Jimmy, don't kill him." Spinner warned as he followed us out, shutting the double doors behind him. Spin was following us out to guarantee I didn't do just that.  
  
"I'm not gonna kill him, Spin." I replied. "I'm just gonna show him what happens when you mess with my girlfriend."  
  
"Hey, she was my girlfriend first, so deal with it." Craig snapped.  
  
"You know, I don't get it. If she's your ex-girlfriend and you treated her so well, then why the hell is she afraid of you?"  
  
"She's afraid of everyone these days." Craig replied.  
  
"Really? She's not afraid of Marco. She's not afraid of Spinner. She's not even afraid of Dylan, and Dylan's huge. So what gives, Manning? Something you're not telling me?" I asked, pushing him.  
  
"Man, what the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Did something happen that night in the woods that I wasn't aware of? Why she screaming in absolute terror when you brought her in? Why does she avoid you all the time now? Why did she freak out today when you touched her?"  
  
"Because I was the first person she saw when she came to!" Craig shouted.  
  
"Bullshit." I spat. "It was you, wasn't it? You tried to rape MY girlfriend and then beat the shit out of her because you wanted one more go with her, right? You were pissed off that I had her and you didn't, and you wanted another shot in paradise, didn't you?"  
  
"I was with Manny." Craig replied simply.  
  
"You know what?"  
  
"What's that?" Craig asked with a superior look on his face.  
  
"Don't believe you." I replied, before diving on him.  
  
~*Paige*~  
  
"They've been out there awhile." I remarked, and looked at Bianca. "How's your head?"  
  
"Mixed up. Insane. Growing crazier by the minute." She responded softly, looking at the ice bag in her lap. I rolled me eyes, grabbed the ice bag, and put it back on the back of her head. I grabbed her hand and made her hold it there.  
  
"Hold it there." I ordered. I looked at her wrists. "Wow. Craig really did a number on those."  
  
She looked at the wrist that wasn't holding the ice bag and sighed. "When did things get so complicated?"  
  
Suddenly, the doors blew open, and Craig stormed in, shirt ripped up, lip and nose bleeding, various scrapes and cuts all over his arms, and the beginning of a black eye forming. Bianca gasped and jumped up off the counter, and ran behind the table. He stopped, and looked at her.  
  
"Are you really that afraid of me?"  
  
She didn't say anything, just kept looking at the floor.  
  
"Answer me!" he yelled.  
  
"Craig..." I warned.  
  
"Stay out of this, Paige." He warned back. "Why are you afraid of me?"  
  
She still said nothing. He walked towards her.  
  
"Why, Bianca? We had something special, you know? I thought you loved me! Why are you so afraid of me? You don't think I'm the one that did that to you, do you?"  
  
He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she jerked away, finally looking at him. Her eyes radiated terror.  
  
"Oh my god. You do." Craig said unbelievably. He looked at her for a few seconds, not saying anything, and stormed out.  
  
"Craig..." Manny said.  
  
"Leave me alone." Craig said, and headed out the front door. Manny ran after him, slamming the door shut.  
  
"Bianca, did Craig..." I was almost afraid to say it, and I prayed to god it wasn't true. Something like that would change my impression of Craig forever.  
  
Jimmy and Spinner walked in finally. Spinner didn't have a scratch on him, but Jimmy was similar to Craig in terms of taking a beating, although he looked slightly better. He had a few scratches on his chest, a busted lip, and a black eye, and was breathing hard, angrily. He looked at Bianca, and his anger seemed to melt away. He stretched out his arms.  
  
"C'mere." He said to her, and she ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, whispering sweet words of comfort.  
  
"Spin, you guys didn't gang up on him, did you?" I asked. Spinner shook his head.  
  
"I was just making sure Jimmy didn't kill him." Spinner replied.  
  
"But you let him get beat up." Ellie noted.  
  
"Because he deserved it. Jimmy knows now. Craig tried to rape Bianca."  
  
I gasped, and covered my mouth with my hand. So it was true. I folded my arms and looked at Bianca and Jimmy, then back at Spinner.  
  
"Craig is not staying in this house." I said. 


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Clearing the Air

Chapter Nineteen: Clearing The Air  
  
~*Jimmy*~  
  
Bianca and I sat on the bed for a long time, not saying anything, not looking at each other. I watched Bianca's fingers play with the embroidery on the comforter, and finally spoke up.  
  
"Bianca..." I said. She looked up at me.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Did Craig..." I didn't even want to say it. It was almost like I didn't want to know. She simply stared at me, waiting for me to finish. "Did Craig...did he...was he the one that...tried to rape you and beat you up?" I finally got out. I stared at her, waiting for her answer. She sighed and looked back down.  
  
"Jimmy, I don't know. It was dark, and the guy was about the same height as Craig and dressed similar to the way he dresses and wore his hair like him. And I know that could mean nothing, because I know the punk look is really popular now, but...when I came to, he was the first person I saw. So I don't know. I really, really don't know." She replied. "All I know is I'm very afraid of him."  
  
I put an arm around her and pulled her closer to me. "He's not going to hurt you as long as I'm around, okay?"  
  
She nodded. "Okay."  
  
I looked at her as she looked down at the floor, and I needed to know one more thing.  
  
"Bianca, you're not afraid of me, are you?" I asked.  
  
"Jimmy, I love you. Of course I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of the way you make me feel sometimes, because it's so intense, but...I'm not afraid of you. I love you."  
  
I smiled, and kissed her. "I love you too."  
  
~*Craig*~  
  
I kept throwing rocks and seashells into the surf angrily, one after the other. I was so incredibly pissed off, it wasn't funny.  
  
"How could she think that???" I asked Manny. "How? She's known me since we were six, why would she ever think that I would rape her, or even TRY to rape her? I mean, I got the shit beat out of me for years, why would I go and hurt someone else? That's not me!" I yelled.  
  
"I know, Craig. She's confused." Manny said. I glared at her.  
  
"Who's side are you on anyway?"  
  
"I'm on your side. Craig, I know what happened, I was there." Manny replied. "I'll go talk to everyone, tell them what really happened."  
  
"Like they'll believe you." I snorted.  
  
"Maybe not." Manny replied. "But I have to try." She stood up and brushed the sand off her pants. I sighed.  
  
"Manny, I'm sorry. Things are just very confusing right now."  
  
She kissed me gently. "I know. I'm gonna go talk to everyone, let them know what really happened."  
  
I grabbed her hand. "Thank you."  
  
She smiled. "Anything for my favorite guy in the whole wide world."  
  
I smiled too. "Favorite guy, huh?"  
  
She grinned deviously at me. "Next to Justin Timberlake."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
~*Paige*~  
  
"I don't wanna hear it, Manny. You guys can find a hotel or something until we get ready to leave." I replied as I bustled around the kitchen.  
  
"But Paige..."  
  
"I said I don't wanna hear it, okay? I know exactly what Bianca went through. Or do you not remember Dean? I'll be damned if I let someone in my family's house that tried to that same shit." I replied, crossing my arms and staring at her.  
  
"But Paige, he didn't do it!" Manny yelled. "I was with him the entire time! I was with him when we found her!"  
  
Now I was confused. "Come again?"  
  
Manny sighed, and pushed herself up on the counter, sitting down.  
  
"Look, Craig and I were taking a walk, around seven-ish, by Degrassi park, and we heard a scream. So, we went running in the direction of the scream. That's when we saw it. The guy had Bianca pinned against a tree, and then he hit her, and she fell to the ground, and he started kicking her. She screamed again, and he ran away. Craig tried to catch him, but he was too fast."  
  
"Then why does Bianca think..."  
  
"Bianca went unconscious. When she came to, we were there. She didn't really pay attention to me, I guess she wouldn't, given that situation, but when she saw Craig, she started to freak out. She was scared, really, really scared. She wouldn't move. I think she was in shock. So Craig picks her up, and she starts kicking and hitting and freaking out. We brought her back to her house, Jimmy was already there, Jimmy called Spinner, and we went to the hospital. And that's what happened. That's 100% what happened, Paige."  
  
I didn't know what to say. "Oh."  
  
"Paige, Craig's dad used to beat him, pretty bad. So he would never even dream of hurting anyone, much less Bianca. They grew up together. He cares about her. I mean, just thinking about Craig hurting anyone, and especially Craig trying to rape anyone...that's incomprehensible to me."  
  
"Wow." I said. "Manny, I think you need to go talk to Jimmy about this, before he goes on another rampage." "You're probably right." Manny replied.  
  
"He's upstairs, with Bianca. Hey, and Manny?" I asked.  
  
She turned to look at me. "Yeah?"  
  
"Don't be too hard on Bianca. Situations like this tend to make you not see things clearly." I said.  
  
She nodded. "I know."  
  
Manny headed up the steps, and I sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table.  
  
I needed to get the group together and talk to them. 


End file.
